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20/10/2006
Grand Opera House reopens after major refurbishment
A major new £9 million extension and refurbishment project has been unveiled today at the Grand Opera House.
Cutting the ribbon at the official opening ceremony, Paul Sweeney, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, said: “Twenty-five years ago the Grand Opera House led the way in bringing nightlife back into Belfast City Centre. Now we have a vibrant city, throbbing with nightlife, a city which is in the top ten must visit locations in the UK.
“Once again the Grand Opera House is leading the way in a new generation of investment in Belfast’s arts and cultural infrastructure. Today marks the beginning of a new and exciting phase in the cultural life of the City and the region it serves with the enhancement of the Grand and birth of the Baby Grand.”
Mr Sweeney continued: “It is the first of a number of arts projects around the city that will receive financial investment from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Arts Council Lottery Fund. Public sector funding for the Grand Opera House exceeds £6 million, with the balance being met by support from Ulster Garden Villages and the general public through ticket levies and the ‘buy a brick’ campaign.”
He added that a further £20 million funding from DCAL and Arts Council Lottery Fund is to be provided for three other high profile arts venues, including a new theatre for the Lyric, major refurbishment work at the Crescent Arts Centre and a new building for the Old Museum Arts Centre in the heart of Cathedral Quarter.
Looking to the future, Paul Sweeney said: “This is an exciting time for Belfast and for the arts. Today is all about the future. This new facility will be a living and vibrant space for everybody to experience and enjoy.
“I am confident that the magic of this grand theatre will endure and audiences from across Northern Ireland and beyond will continue to enjoy a wide variety of entertainment in the future.”
(EF)
Cutting the ribbon at the official opening ceremony, Paul Sweeney, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, said: “Twenty-five years ago the Grand Opera House led the way in bringing nightlife back into Belfast City Centre. Now we have a vibrant city, throbbing with nightlife, a city which is in the top ten must visit locations in the UK.
“Once again the Grand Opera House is leading the way in a new generation of investment in Belfast’s arts and cultural infrastructure. Today marks the beginning of a new and exciting phase in the cultural life of the City and the region it serves with the enhancement of the Grand and birth of the Baby Grand.”
Mr Sweeney continued: “It is the first of a number of arts projects around the city that will receive financial investment from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Arts Council Lottery Fund. Public sector funding for the Grand Opera House exceeds £6 million, with the balance being met by support from Ulster Garden Villages and the general public through ticket levies and the ‘buy a brick’ campaign.”
He added that a further £20 million funding from DCAL and Arts Council Lottery Fund is to be provided for three other high profile arts venues, including a new theatre for the Lyric, major refurbishment work at the Crescent Arts Centre and a new building for the Old Museum Arts Centre in the heart of Cathedral Quarter.
Looking to the future, Paul Sweeney said: “This is an exciting time for Belfast and for the arts. Today is all about the future. This new facility will be a living and vibrant space for everybody to experience and enjoy.
“I am confident that the magic of this grand theatre will endure and audiences from across Northern Ireland and beyond will continue to enjoy a wide variety of entertainment in the future.”
(EF)
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Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:Rain clearing away east by early evening with some clear spells but a few showers likely to affect the North coast and other areas towards dawn, remaining breezy and mild overnight. Minimum temperature 9 °C.
