Project Blog

The Lyric’s campaign to raise funds for a new theatre on the banks of the River Lagan received a massive boost today with the announcement of a £1million donation from leading businessman Dr Martin Naughton and his wife Carmel. This is the biggest personal gift ever made to an arts organisation in Northern Ireland.

The Naughtons announced their gift during a recent visit to the Lyric:

“We have both been inspired by the distinguished history of the Lyric, by the passion and creativity of the artists who work here, by the enormous impact which the Lyric has within the community and by its exciting vision for the future. We strongly believe in the power of the arts to change lives and to create a vibrant and healthy economy. We are delighted to be joining the Lyric’s campaign at this critical stage and to be playing our part in the transformation of Northern Ireland’s cultural landscape.”

The Lyric plans to recognise their outstanding generosity in perpetuity in the new building by naming the Studio Theatre in their honour. The Naughton Studio, one of two auditoria in the new theatre, will be a flexible performance space dedicated to nurturing and celebrating the creative talents of children and young people of all abilities and backgrounds.

Designs for the new theatre are currently being finalised by award-winning architects O’Donnell & Tuomey and the Lyric has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to persuade statutory agencies, private trusts, local businesses and private philanthropists to invest in this multi-million pound landmark project. The fundraising campaign has benefited throughout from the personal support of the theatre’s Patron Liam Neeson who continues to actively promote the Lyric at home and abroad.

The Lyric’s Chairman Mark Carruthers has been a driving force behind the project and was delighted by today’s news:

“We are overwhelmed by the support and encouragement we have received from the Naughtons” said Mark. “We are all aware of how much the Naughtons give back to the community, not just in terms of supporting projects like ours, but also the amount of time and energy they devote to promoting Northern Ireland on a world stage. That’s very much at the heart of what the Lyric does too and this was a crucial factor in their decision to become so closely involved with us. Ample evidence shows that cities which thrive culturally prosper commercially also. The re-build of the Lyric will bring benefits to us all. I hope that other local business leaders and philanthropists will take inspiration from the Naughtons’ lead and help us to create this lasting legacy for future generations.”

The urgent need to build a new home for the Lyric has been widely recognised for many years. The fabric of the existing venue is rapidly deteriorating and space restrictions severely limit the scale and impact of the Lyric’s work. The theatre’s backstage and production facilities were recently described by the director of a major Trust as among the worst in the UK.

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Arts Council’s Lottery Fund have been extremely supportive of the project and are committing substantial resources to help build the new theatre. The Lyric has also raised funds from a range of private trusts, individual donors and local businesses. The Lyric has further partnership funding to raise before the building can get the green-light and a public campaign will be launched in the Autumn.

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