The Northern Ireland Executive has hailed the new £18m Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC) in Belfast as "another symbol of progress", following the venue's official opening. Carál Ní Chuilín, the province's minister for culture, arts and leisure, was among the figures in attendance at the launch of the Hall McKnight -designed complex on 19 April. Located in the city's Cathedral Quarter, the MAC incorporates two black box theatre spaces seating 120

Plans for a new AU$25.8m (£16.8m, EUR20.5m, US$26.8m) theatre complex in Bendigo, Australia, have taken a step forward after detailed plans for the scheme were released. Heritage and planning permits have also been lodged by Bendigo Senior Secondary College and the City of Greater Bendigo for the scheme, which will be located at the city's historic gaol site. Y2 Architects are behind the design of the theatre, which incorporate an

A new report has found that Turner Contemporary in Margate, a £17.4m gallery dedicated to the life of artist JMW Turner, has generated £13.8m of value for the Kent economy. The research was published to coincide with the first anniversary of the attraction's launch on 16 April 2011 and also showed that nearly 500,000 people had visited since it opened. David Chipperfield Architects designed the iconic seafront gallery, which was

Helsinki mayor Jussi Pajunen has formally offered financial backing to plans for the establishment of a fourth European Guggenheim museum in the Finnish capital. The news comes as no surprise as Pajunen has been among the most vocal supporters of the project, which is headed jointly by the Helsinki City Council and the Guggenheim Foundation. Pajunen has now outlined a financial package which will see the council provide 2.8m euros

Plans to undertake an "extensive" expansion and renovation of Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia, US, have received the approval of the attraction's board of trustees. The H&A Architects -designed project is to form part of a US$45m (£28.2m, EUR33.7m) capital programme currently in its "quiet phase" and which has also included the new Chrysler Museum Glass Studio. Work will commence in July this year and will see 8,000sq

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) in Sydney has reopened following the completion of a "significant" AU$53m (£34.3m, EUR41.2m, US$55m) redevelopment. Sydney-based Sam Marshall has worked with the New South Wales Government Architect on the design of the new-look attraction, which has added 4,500sq m (43,438sq ft) of space. The expansion has increased MCA's size by nearly 50 per cent and has included three new galleries, a refurbishment of

The new National Art Gallery, Singapore in the heart of the civil district remains on track to open in 2015 after the SG$530m (£265m, EUR316m, US$422m) scheme moved onto its next phase. Housed in the former City Hall and Supreme Court buildings, the new visual arts institution has been designed to position Singapore as a regional and international hub when complete. The 60,000sq m (645,835sq ft) attraction is to comprise

Belfast's new £18m Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC) is to open its doors for the first time next month in the Northern Irish capital's Cathedral Quarter. Hacker Hall McKnight are behind the design of the new complex, which will house two black box theatre spaces with seating capacity for 120 and 350 spectators respectively. Three art galleries; a rehearsal space; a dance studio; and education rooms also form part of the

Work has now started on demolishing the Studio Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London, which is making way for the construction of a new £3.5m cultural complex. First opened in 1981, the Studio Theatre was originally built at a cost of £50,000 but is now being replaced by a new building designed by London-based Foster Wilson Architects. The facility aims to provide an "intimate and flexible space for 21st

Edinburgh-based firm Miller Construction has been announced as the preferred bidder for the contract to build a new £40m arts and innovation complex at Bangor University, Wales. Work on the Pontio development is expected to get underway in May/June, with Grimshaw Architects behind the building's design. Arup and Atkins are also involved with the project. The 10,000sq m (107,639sq ft) complex will boast a theatre with a seating capacity of

A new £4m art gallery housing the Jerwood Foundation's collection of 20th and 21st century works is to open its doors to the public in Hastings, East Sussex, tomorrow (17 March). The development of the Jerwood Gallery - designed by Colchester-based HAT Projects - is part of a wider £9m regeneration of the Stade, a historic area located in Hastings' old town. It is hoped the gallery will add Hastings

Damien Hirst, one of the UK's most prominent contemporary artists, has announced plans to open a new public gallery housing his personal collection in south London in 2014. The artist told the Observer newspaper that the Lambeth development would display highlights from his collection, which encompasses more than 2,000 art works. Hirst said the Caruso St John -designed attraction will transform a terrace of listed buildings and will be as

The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA) in Ohio, US, has announced that its new building in the Uptown district of University Circle will open on 8 October. London, UK-based Farshid Moussavi Architecture are behind the design of the new facility, which aims to provide a catalyst for "creativity and growth" in the surrounding neighbourhood. The 34,000sq ft (3,159sq m) building is 44 per cent larger than MOCA's current rented

International spa company ESPA has announced the first of its planned cultural partnerships for 2012 with the sponsorship of the annual Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in Hyde Park, London, UK. The pavilion is a temporary structure commissioned annually by the Serpentine Gallery to provide a showcase for contemporary architectural practice. This year, the gallery has been designed in partnership by Chinese artist and architect Ai Weiwei and Swiss architects Herzog &

Neath's Gwyn Hall arts and cultural venue is to be officially opened on 8 March, following the completion of a £9m transformation of the building undertaken by the local authority. The venue was damaged in an October 2007 fire while undergoing a £4m revamp, but has now been restored and revitalised under plans drawn up by Holder Mathias Architects. Morgan Ashurst and Swansea-based contractor John Weaver have been involved with

The National Museum of Scotland (NMS) and Hepworth Wakefield have been included among 52 schemes to be recognised at this year's Civic Trust Awards (CTA) in Edinburgh. A total of 27 projects across the UK and overseas were confirmed as award winners, with a further 18 receiving commendations and seven given a community recognition accolade. Six of the award winners picked up special awards, which are designed to celebrate projects

Aberdeen City Council (ACC) has announced that work has commenced on a multi-million pound restoration of Duthie Park, which is scheduled for completion by the end of the year. The local authority approved the scheme in November 2010 and has contributed £2.67m to help fund the work, with the Heritage Lottery Fund providing a further £2.56m. Hunter Construction has been appointed to deliver the restoration, while consultants URS is to

St James Theatre is to become central London's first newly-built theatre complex for three decades when it opens on the site of the former Westminster Theatre in September. The new facility, which has been designed by Foster Wilson Architects, is located on Palace Street, Victoria, and has been entirely funded through private sector investment. A 312-seat auditorium, a brasserie and a bar will be included among the facilities, along with

Renowned musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has marked the topping out of a new £10m arts complex being built overlooking the River Clyde in Greenock, Scotland. The LDN Architects -designed Beacon Arts Centre is on course to open this summer and is to replace Greenock Arts Guild Theatre, which has been operating for more than 60 years. Part of the wider regeneration of industrial land along the Inverclyde waterfront,

Shakespeare's Globe has received a £1.5m gift from an anonymous private donor towards its plans to open the historic London arts venue's Indoor Jacobean Theatre next year. The £1.5m donation will be used to match every pound raised by the Globe and it is hoped the match-giving scheme will encourage more people to contribute towards the project. Allies and Morrison were appointed last summer to work on the £7m scheme,

A design team has been selected for the renovation and expansion of the Kimball Art Center in Utah, US, which is home to Sundance House during the annual Sundance Film Festival. Denmark-based BIG and US-based Architectural Nexus will lead the team that also includes Dunn Associates, VBFA, Envision Engineering and Big D on the proposed scheme. Work is due to commence on the project in mid-2013, with the project to

A groundbreaking ceremony has marked the start of work on a GBP28m redevelopment of the Everyman theatre in Liverpool, which has been designed by Haworth Tompkins Architects. The Everyone for the Everyman project will include the creation of a 400-seat auditorium; a new creative hub for writers; rehearsal space; and improved front-of-house facilities. A dedicated space for schools and community groups will also be established at the theatre, which is

Cardiff's Sherman Cymru has opened its doors to the public for the first time in two years, following the completion of a major GBP6.5m refurbishment of the arts venue. Jonathan Adams of Capita Symonds, the man who designed Wales Millennium Centre and the WJEC building, was the architect behind the redevelopment of the theatre. Work has included a new exterior and a foyer that has undergone a complete overhaul. The

London's Photographers' Gallery is to reopen on 19 May, following the completion of its £8.9m development project designed by Ireland-based O'Donnell and Tuomey Architects. The transformation of the photography attraction has included the addition of a two-storey extension, which has doubled the size of the available exhibition space at the Soho venue. A new environmentally-controlled floor now enables the Photographers' Gallery to display more work from its archives, while top

Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) has revealed the opening dates for three museums that form part of the Saadiyat Cultural District in the United Arab Emirates. Located on the Saadiyat Island development in Abu Dhabi, the first attraction to launch is to be the Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2015. Zayed National Museum will follow a year later. Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be the third new museum to be unveiled

The new US$35m (£22.5m, EUR27m) Sunnylands Center and Gardens, which forms part of The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in California, US, will open its doors on 1 March. Reich+Petch Design International has worked on the media, wayfinding and exhibits at the 17,000sq ft (1,579sq m) facility, which was designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners. Attractions include a glasses-free 3D tour of the Sunnylands residence and its development over the years,

David Wilmore of North Yorkshire-based historic theatre consulting firm Theatresearch has been appointed to work on a £4m restoration of the Globe Theatre in Stockton-on-Tees. Jomast Developments is working alongside Stockton Borough Council on plans to overhaul the venue, which is a Grade II-listed Art Deco building first opened in 1935. Once the restoration project is complete, the Globe Theatre will offer a main auditorium with a capacity of around