After falling into disuse for over a decade, the basement level space within the Newman Building at University College Dublin (UCD) has been transformed into a €2.5m state-of-the-art performance theatre with the aim of inspiring a new generation of talent. The redeveloped performance space, named Trapdoor, is now a 144-seat theatre with professional grade lighting, visual, and sound systems. It serves as the new home for the UCD Creative Futures Academy. The Trapdoor theatre hosts a range of programmes and modules, delivered by academics and experts from the creative industries. The venue was officially opened on 27 February 2024. As part of its opening, British film director and screenwriter Steve McQueen was the first official guest.