THE Ark, the Children's Cultural Centre in Temple Bar, celebrated its first birthday by launching a very smart fundraising initiative. It has produced a beautiful limited edition of 260 copies of a new version of the story of Noah and the flood.
It was written by John Banville and illustrated by artist Conor Fallon and it's printed on ivory paper as thick as blotting paper. There was a party at The Ark on Tuesday night to launch the book and to celebrate the centre's first birthday.
After some drinks and canapes, Rosaleen Linehan gave a reading from the book after which pianist John O'Conor chatted his way though a delightfully relaxed programme of children's music. It was one of the few occasions on which the audience in The Ark's theatre has been entirely adult - it included the book's author and artist, its designer Peter Fallon the new director of the Arts Council Patricia Quinn, (who was surrounded by well wishers and people lining up to offer their congratulations); solicitor Ann MarieJames who is leading the fundraising drive; barrister John O'Donnell; corporate financier Mary Leonard; PR man Fintan Drury and Brenda Cullen; stock broker Jonathon Westrup; and Gerry and Monica Flood. By the end of the evening, 45 copies of the book in its very smart gold blocked slipcase had been sold at £150 each.