Debate contribution: Riverside Theatre at Ulster University, Coleraine

Debate contribution by Mr Maurice Bradley on 28 January 2025.

MLA

Mr Maurice Bradley

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

28 January 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Riverside Theatre at Ulster University, Coleraine

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4764271

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I welcome this evening's Adjournment debate, and I thank the Member for bringing the topic to the House. The Riverside Theatre, located at Ulster University's Coleraine campus, is Northern Ireland's oldest operating professional theatre outside Belfast. Established in 1976, it has become a cultural hub for the university community and the wider Causeway Coast and Glens region. The theatre boasts an intimate auditorium with a seating capacity that ranges from 278 to 350, depending on the configuration. That versatile space has allowed for a diverse array of performances, including comedy, dance, music, drama and lectures. I thank the Member for raising this important topic. The theatre has been in use since 1976. It is tired, dated and in need of some sort of repair or refurbishment. Six options were presented to me on Thursday, when I met the university officials. Only one was for closure; the other five were diverse but achievable. There are health and safety issues at the theatre, which may manifest themselves in the not-too-distant future, so Ulster University is looking at all the options. The principle of a rural university for Northern Ireland was established in the 1960s, when Coleraine was chosen ahead of Armagh and Londonderry, in that order. While I am glad that the Member has raised this important topic, it leads to important questions about the three-campus model and the interrelationships between the campuses. The multi-campus model has cost the Ulster University almost £15 million over the past five years. That is an unequal footing compared with other universities. Over the past five years, Ulster University has spent almost £231 million on its Belfast/Jordanstown campus, over £14 million at Magee and just over £4·5 million in Coleraine. At the same time, Ulster University spent £7·5 million on Studio Ulster in one year — 2023-24. Some members of the Executive need to take heed of that spend. While millions have been allocated to the expansion of Magee Coleraine received a modest spend under the guise of regional imbalance. I question the imbalance in university funding. As of January 2025, discussions have emerged concerning the long-term future of the Riverside Theatre. The theatre is considered a cultural institution in the area. Community members and stakeholders are actively engaging in conversations to ensure its continued operation and significance in the region's cultural landscape. I urge the Minister for the Economy and the Minister for Communities to actively engage with Ulster University. Surely Members are not seeking to build up one university campus while actively seeking to destroy another through a lack of funding or willingness to engage with the university and the Causeway Coast and Glens councillors. I urge Members to ensure that the Riverside Theatre and the Coleraine campus of Ulster University thrive. I ask Members to pay particular heed to that when they laud the expansion at Magee and forget about the Coleraine campus.

480 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:55 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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