Step inside our Children’s Gallery this autumn and find yourself transported into a series of miniature, imagined worlds. Welcome to The Box of Make Believe – an exhibition for young people and curious adults that celebrates the creativity, ingenuity and magic of set design. Before the set you see in a play ever gets built, it is first imagined on a much smaller scale, as a beautifully designed model. These miniature sets are often works of art in themselves and are the first time we get a glimpse inside the world of the play. Join us for a fascinating journey behind the scenes of how the magic of the theatre comes alive.

The Box of Make Believe has something for all ages, featuring models from family theatre such as Bake! and Monday’s Child to a range of different interpretations of Oedipus Rex by students of Sligo IT, to the model for The Abbey’s original production of Dancing at Lughnasa in 1990.

Riverbank Arts Centre is proud to bring together for the first time, this unique collection of stage design models, to celebrate the Year of Design and showcase just a small taste of the diverse talent that is currently working in set design in Ireland.