Grand Reopening for Leeds Grand Theatre

The curtains are set to rise on an exciting new era for theatrical performances in Leeds as one of the city's best-loved venues re-opens after a major restoration project.

Leeds Grand Theatre will reclaim its place in the hearts of the city's theatregoing public after closing last year for major construction work.

It is scheduled to re-open on October 7 th with many new innovations aimed at bringing it right up to date for modern performances, while still being sympathetic to its Victorian decor.

Leeds City Council's executive member for Leisure, Cllr John Procter, will be hosting a civic reception In the theatre's Yorkshire Bank Auditorium on the eve of the re-opening (October 6 th ) to officially re-introduce the Grand to the city.

Children from the Backstage Past theatre project will be burying a time capsule at the theatre to mark the occasion. It will contain a newspaper and DVD they composed about the theatre's re-opening as well as other items they hope will be significant to future generations.

Joining Cllr Procter at the civic reception will be Peter Hewitt, chief executive of Arts Council England, Janet Barnes, chair of the Yorkshire Regional Arts Council, Cllr Les Carter, chair of the Grand Theatre, Warren Smith, the theatre's general manager, Mike Beverley, chair of Opera North and its general director Richard Mantle .

Cllr Procter said:

“The Grand Theatre has a special place in the hearts of Leeds people and its popularity spreads way beyond the city's borders. This restoration will ensure it is up-to-date, while preserving its historical roots, and will protect its future for many years to come.

“There have been many key enhancements which should attract major touring companies and will cement the Grand's position as one of the country's premier theatres. We now look forward to Phase II of the project, which will concentrate more on front-of-house areas and on bringing the Assembly Rooms back into full use.”

Warren Smith, general manager of the Leeds Grand Theatre, said:

“Uppermost in our plans for the Grand Theatre's transformation of public areas have been big improvements to access, comfort and safety for all our theatregoers. Behind the scenes there has also been a major upgrade of facilities, which is attracting a greater variety of spectacular shows to Leeds

“All these new benefits, we believe, will enhance the theatrical experience and fully meet our patrons' rightful expectation for a Grand night out.”

Richard Mantle, Opera North's general director, said:

“We are delighted that Opera North now has a permanent home 28 years after its formation. As the national opera company of the North of England it is fitting that our new home is integrated into Leeds Grand Theatre. It will bring all artistic development together onto one site and create a centre of excellence with national impact.

“We look forward to welcoming back our strong and loyal audience, the new friends we have made over our itinerant year and the further ones we hope the refurbished theatre and our work will attract.”

Peter Hewitt, chief executive of Arts Council England, said:

“ 'We are proud and excited to be a major investor, through the National Lottery, in the Leeds Grand Theatre Transformation project. The first phase of the redevelopment has successfully married the restoration of the traditional auditorium with improved access and cutting-edge technical facilities, providing benefits for audiences and performers alike.

“The re-opening of this prestigious venue also marks an exciting new phase in the life of Opera North and we are delighted that England's national opera company in the north now has a permanent home in a state-of-the-art opera centre.'

The £23m Phase I of the Grand's restoration has seen major improvements to performance areas and to the comfort of theatregoers during shows. It has also provided a permanent home for Opera North, who will premier their new season with Verdi's Rigoletto on the opening night- which will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 from 6.30pm- to celebrate the theatre's rebirth.

A new era of governance of The Grand is also being heralded, with Leeds City Council's executive board last week approving a plan to reinvent the council-owned theatre's board with new members whose talents are specifically tailored to its needs.

Previously the board was comprised solely of councillors, but the new board will include four independent members, whose appointment will take place only after an assessment of how their skills can be used to benefit the theatre.

The posts will shortly be advertised locally and candidates will be expected to have an interest in theatre and experience in a field such as fund-raising, marketing, finance or commerce. For further details contact Catherine Blanshard, the council's chief officer for libraries, arts and heritage on 0113- 247 8330.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes work is already under way on preparations for Phase II of the theatre's restoration. The council and its partners are busy getting together a funding package of around £9m for the scheme.

It will have a heavy emphasis on maximising the public access to and enjoyment and interpretation of the theatre's heritage environment. This will involve refurbishing the Assembly Rooms and bringing them back into full public use and restoring the building's facades and front-of-house areas.

Work will also be done on fitting out the new music rooms, improving the dressing rooms and installing a new pedestrian bridge over Harrison Street to link the theatre with Opera North's offices.

Notes to Editors:

Phase I works included:

improved dressing rooms and two new rehearsal rooms, as large as the stage itself

New 'state of the art' computer controlled facilities for flying scenery over the stage and getting it in and out of the Grand Theatre on a new hydraulic lorry lift. This is now attracting a greater variety of spectacular shows to Leeds .

The new passenger lift will enable wheelchair users to access all seating areas in the Yorkshire Bank Auditorium for the first time.

New seats in the stalls have improved sight lines, provide deeper leg room and wider seats, incorporating special memory foam which moulds to body shape. Similarly seats throughout the other areas of the theatre have been fully restored.

A major overhaul of the theatre's electrical and mechanical systems has provided more eco-friendly heating and comfort air cooling systems. Cool air is now slowly introduced below the floor of each row of seats and extracted through new ceilings

Also provided are new safety features for use in an emergency to enable very safe evacuation of the theatre.

*The Backstage Project - which is being supported by The Heritage Lottery fund – is

being carried out as part of Education Leeds' study support programme, in partnership with

Leeds City Council and the Grand Theatre. The children from Morley Newlands Primary School were encouraged and assisted by peer mentors from Morley and Rodillian High Schools as well as business mentors from across the city.

After exploring the building and collecting and editing material from the Central Library and

West Yorkshire Archives, the group worked with digital artists from Sound-works to shape

the material into a sound recording celebrating the sounds and memories of the theatre.