Lyric Design 'Previewed'

There's a major 'performance' this week at Belfast's Lyric Theatre.

The award-winning architects at O'Donnell & Tuomey will guide prospective audience members through a presentation of the Lyric's new £18m home, due to open in spring 2011, as well as talking through their design.

The move comes as building is well under way on the Lyric's new home on Ridgeway Street - but the company still needs to raise £1.3m for essential fit-out and equipment costs.

If the Lyric can raise £800,000 by a deadline of June next year, it will secure the £500,000 challenge grant from Kresge and finally celebrate completion of its ambitious £18m fundraising target.

Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney unveiled a 'Threshold Stone' at the site of Belfast's new Lyric Theatre in September, but the next act in the ongoing performance will be this week's presentation, which will include computer-generated images, showcasing the two auditoria, backstage and new front of house.

With nearly four times more floor space than the original theatre, the Lyric's new home will consist of a 394-seat main auditorium, 150-seat studio theatre, rehearsal room, extensive riverfront foyers and bar, backstage facilities and office accommodation.

The Lyric's capital fundraising campaign received a massive boost in June this year with the offer of an £500,000 challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation in Michigan.

However, it is appealing for help from the public and the business community to meet this exciting new challenge and complete the fundraising campaign.

Meanwhile, one of Northern Ireland's most popular attractions is to open its doors later this week after undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment.

The Ulster Museum closed in October 2006 to allow a £17m renovation to take place.

Although it is opening a few months later than originally planned, staff hope the new-look building will soon be attracting record numbers of visitors.

See: Heaney Marks Progress On Lyric Scheme

(BMcC/KMcA)