[00:51.34]Hello, and welcome to Focus on the Arts.
[00:53.41]I'm your host - Dave Green - and this is your very own local radio programme.
[00:58.45]Every Friday evening we put the spotlight on different arts and culture facilities, and look at the shows and events that are on offer in the coming week.
[01:06.81]And today the focus is on The National Arts Centre.
[01:10.13]Now, if you don’t already know it yourself, Tm sure you've all heard of it.
[01:14.98]It's famous throughout the world as one of the major venues for classical music.
[01:19.34]But did you know that it is actually much more than just a place to hear concerts?
[01:23.81]The Centre itself is a huge complex that caters for a great range of arts.
[01:28.63]Under a single roof it houses concert rooms, theatres, cinemas, art galleries and a wonderful public library, as well as service facilities including three restaurants and a bookshop.
[01:40.77]So at any one time, the choice of entertainment there is simply enormous.
[01:45.30]So, how did they manage to build such a big arts complex right in the heart of the city?
[01:51.25]Well, the area was completely destroyed by bombs during the war in 1940.
[01:56.53]So the opportunity was taken to create a cultural centre that would be, what they called: ‘the City’s gift to the Nation’.
[02:03.41]Of course it took a while for such a big project to get started, but it was planned in the 60s, built in the 70s and eventually opened to the public in 1983.
[02:13.28]Ever since then it has proved to be a great success.
[02:16.96]It is not privately owned, like many arts centres, but is still in public hands - it's run by the City Council.
[02:24.51]Both our National Symphony Orchestra and National Theatre Company were involved in the planning of the project, and they are now based there - giving regular performances every week - and as the Centre is open 363 days of the year, there are plenty of performances to choose from.
[03:17.76]So, to give you some idea of what's on, and to help you choose from the many possibilities, we’ve made a selection of the star attractions.
[03:26.37]If you're interested in classical music, then we recommend you go along to the National on either Monday or Tuesday evening at 7:30 for a spectacular production of ‘The Magic Flute’ -probably the most popular of all Mozart's operas.
[03:38.73]It's in the Garden Hall and tickets start at only £8.00, but you'll have to be early if you want to get them that cheap!
[03:46.51]And remember, it’s only on for those two evenings.
[03:49.61]For those more interested in the cinema, you might like to see the new Canadian film which is showing on Wednesday evening at 8pm in Cinema 2.
[03:57.38]And that's called ‘Three Lives.’
[04:00.72]It’s had fantastic reviews and tickets cost just £4.50, which is a reduction on the usual price of £5.50.
[04:07.66]So, it's really good value, especial for such a great movie.
[04:10.92]But you can see the centre’s main weekend, because on Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 10 pm, they're showing a wonderful new exhibition that hasn't been seen anywhere else in Europe yet.
[04:23.55]It's a collection of Chinese Art called ‘Faces of China’ - that's in Gallery 1 - and it has some really fascinating paintings and sculptures by leading artists from all over China - and the good news is that it is completely free, so don't miss it!
[04:40.76]So why not go along to the National Arts Centre next week for one - or all - of these great events - and you can always pick up a programme and check out all the other performances and exhibitions on offer, or coming soon, on almost every day of the year.
[04:55.85]Next week we’ll be looking at the new Museum of Science...
