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Grand Theatre

Transformation is a £30m campaign to restore the Leeds Grand Theatre to its former glory as the prime theatrical venue in the north of England, attracting the very best dance, music, entertainment and drama. It will also create a new home for Opera North, securing the future of the nation’s most important regionally based opera company.

The Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, as it was then known, was built in 1878 in a backlash to the music hall tradition which was thought by ‘polite society’ to lower the tone of entertainment via the sort of humour presented in these pub-based establishments.

The theatre was built on a site of approximately three quarters of an acre with a frontage on New Briggate of 56 yards, including the Assembly Rooms.

The theatre cost a total of £62,000 and took 13 months to build. The architect, George Corson, was heavily influenced by his assistant James Robertson Watson who had undertaken a tour of Europe’s churches and theatres. Many of the design inspirations came from these continental influences, in particular the gothic, ecclesiastical spires.

The first performance at the theatre was Much Ado About Nothing on 18 November 1878 and stars that have trodden the boards over the years have included Sarah Bernhardt, Ellen Terry, Julie Andrews, Felicity Kendal, Morecambe and Wise and Laurence Olivier.

Audiences at the newly refurbished Leeds Grand Theatre will benefit from an innovation originally designed for astronauts when the theatre re-opens its doors in October. The Grand is thought to be the first theatre in the country to introduce special “memory foam” in its seating to enhance comfort for theatregoers during the first phase of the theatre’s modernisation scheme.

Yorkshire Bank is donating £839,000 towards the much needed Transformation project. This is the largest single donation from the private sector to the most significant cultural project in the region. The five-year deal with Yorkshire Bank will see the Victorian theatre's 1,500 seat auditorium named after the bank. Yorkshire Bank will also be sponsoring productions by Opera North and its schools programme, Opera 1.

For more information on the theatre and the future programme please click here to access the theatre homepage.

Clarence Dock

Plans have been confirmed and permission granted for the final buildings at Clarence Dock, Leeds’ biggest new mixed use development.

The developer, Crosby Group Plc, has released details of retail, leisure and office accommodation at the £250 million waterside destination which will attract 1.5 million visitors when construction completes in 2007.

Now that permission has been granted, Crosby is committed to a 20 month build programme that will provide 370,000 sq ft of retail, leisure facilities and 100,000 sq ft of state of the art office accommodation.

Construction is already underway for a new 131-bed Express by Holiday Inn and Crosby recently announced that London Clubs International are taking 50,000 sq ft for a new casino with restaurants at the entrance to Clarence Dock.

Almost 600 apartments have been completed with a further 500 under construction. Along with the Royal Armouries, which sits at the heart of Clarence Dock, the scheme is the centrepiece of regeneration on the waterfront.

Simon Kidd, Commercial Lettings Director at The Clarence Dock Company Ltd, comments, “With much of the infrastructure in place and the scheme already thriving with residential occupiers, the time is now right for us to build on our successes to date and seek potential retail, leisure and office occupiers that can actually see the unique environment and commercial benefits for themselves. Clarence Dock is a self supporting destination that will attract stylish and aspirational brands that seek an exclusive environment rather than high street presence.”

For further information visit www.clarencedock.com.

Bridgewater Place is currently under construction just a few minutes from Leeds City Train Station, on the edge of the Holbeck Urban Village.

An ambitious project, this will include Leeds' tallest building when completed, at an impressive 32 storeys. Incorporating offices, residential space, leisure and retail facilities the interlinked buildings will provide a cornerstone to the Holbeck Urban Village. Click here for more information.

The Gateway Leeds is situated at the south-east entrance to the city, and is a mixed-use development of over 600 apartments along with extensive office and retail space. Click here for more information.