Theatre Royal Bath's Main House has closed for two months in order for work on a major £3m refurbishment programme to be undertaken at the historic venue. Exeter-based contractor Midas is working in partnership with Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios on the scheme, which aims to revamp front-of-house and backstage areas in order to preserve the Main House. Existing facilities will be improved; the foyer will be remodelled; decor will be

A ceremony has marked the topping out of a new entertainment venue being developed in Guildford, Surrey, which is set to replace the town's former Civic Hall building. The Austin-Smith:Lord-designed venue is being built by Hertfordshire-based contractor Willmott Dixon Construction, with the project currently "on time and on budget". When complete, the venue will include a 1,000-seat or 1,700-standing auditorium; multi-purpose studio space; two conference rooms and five seminar rooms;

A ceremony has been held to mark the topping out of Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, Kent, which is currently undergoing a major multi-million pound redevelopment. Canterbury City Council (CCC) has confirmed that a special community day will also take place on 26 June to enable local residents to see how the £25.6m scheme is progressing. The redeveloped Marlowe Theatre will include a 1,200-seat auditorium with enhanced acoustics and sightlines, a

A former nuclear bomb shelter near the town of Konjic, Bosnia, is to be host to the Biennale of Contemporary Art, D-O ARK Underground. The underground bunker, built between 1953-1979 for the then leader of Yugoslavia, Josip Tito, was intended to house around 350 people who could live there for up to six months without returning to the surface. With its entrance hidden by several houses, the well preserved shelter

Plans for a £5m arts venue in Hornsea are now in doubt due to a lack of funding. East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC), which approved the plans in May, has agreed to put up £3m of the fundin but is still awaiting a funding decision from Yorkshire Forward on the remaining £2m. Stephen Parnaby, leader of the council, said: “The council will of course continue to do all it

London's National Theatre (NT) has submitted plans for a major £70m overhaul of the South Bank venue in a bid to transform its facilities and "open up" to more people. The theatre has been working alongside architects Haworth Tompkins over the last two years to draw up development proposals as part of its NT Future scheme, which could get underway in late 2011. Lambeth Council will now decide the fate

Bangor University (BU) has unveiled the design for a new £35m arts and innovation venue, which is to be developed in the North Wales city. The Pontio Project - a name derived from the Welsh word for "to bridge" - will boast a theatre with a capacity of between 450-550 seats; a cinema space and a studio theatre. An outdoor amphitheatre, bars, dining and park areas also form part of

Cheltenham Art Gallery's development project has been awarded a first-round pass for a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £750,000. While the pass does not guarantee that the scheme will receive the money, it does mean the project has been judged as having potential. Jane Lillystone, museum & arts manager, said: "We are extremely delighted to have secured the HLF’s endorsement of a project that is so important for the

£4m plans for Todmorden Town Hall in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, have been approved by the borough council's project board. The proposals, drawn up by London-based architects Camillin Denny, include extensive refurbishment of the exterior and interior of the building and turning the basement into a café and heritage exhibition space. They also include shops and meeting rooms, new toilets, a new bar and lifts below an extension to the ballroom

Plans for the development of a new £5m cultural venue to replace the Floral Hall in Hornsea have received the green light from local councillors. An existing leisure centre will be extended to provide a new multi-purpose community facility under the plans, which were approved by East Riding of Yorkshire Council's (ERYC) planning committee. A 313sq m (3,369sq ft) auditorium capable of accommodating 300 people, a 65sq m (700sq ft)

Centre Pompidou-Metz, the offshoot of Paris’s famous Pompidou Centre, has opened in France. The 70.8m euro (£60.8m,US$89m) new centre, located in the north eastern city of Metz, is the first provincial branch of the famous art gallery. Owned by Communauté d’Agglomération de Metz Métropole, the building was designed by Japan-based Shigeru Ban Architects (SBA) in partnership with French architect Jean de Gastines. The centre will boast paintings, sculptures, installations, graphic

Hackney Council have approved plans for a major multi-million pound mixed-use scheme adjacent to the Hackney Empire that aims to safeguard the historic venue. London-based developer Thornsett Group is leading the Wilton Way project, which will include the demolition of existing office facilities and the construction of a new building. Plans include 425sq m (4,575sq ft) of flexible space to be used for community activities associated with the Hackney Empire

Bath Spa University (BSU) has unveiled plans to transform a former nightclub into a new city centre base for its music and performing arts students. The university has acquired the lease to the Burdall's Yard property on London Road and aims to create a rehearsal and performance facility on the site. BSU vice chancellor Professor Frank Morgan said: "We hope that Burdall's Yard will become a fantastic place for teaching

Electric Hotel - a new 'pop-up' temporary dance work designed to involve the audience in a voyeur role - is set to embark on a UK tour from 7 May. London's Sadler's Wells theatre and outdoor festival consortium Without Walls co-commissioned the performance, which will be taking place in a number of public open spaces. Debuting at Millennium Place in Norwich between 7-9 May, the Electric Hotel concept will see

Hornsey Town Hall is set to be transformed into a major new multi-million pound arts centre in Crouch End, London, under proposals submitted by Haringey Council. Plans for the renovation of the Grade II*-listed building, which was initially designed by Reginald Uren and opened during the 1930s, have been drawn up by architects John McAslan and Partners. Capita Symonds has been appointed to project manage the Hornsey Town Hall redevelopment,

Efforts to renovate Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre have taken a step forward after Royal Court Liverpool Trust (RCLT) was awarded a 30-year lease to operate the venue. The trust will now be able to move forward plans to raise funds for a £10.6m renovation of the Grade II-listed building, following Liverpool City Council confirmed its decision on 26 March. Designs drawn up by London-based architect Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM)

Contractors have been appointed for the US$275m (£172m, 188m euro) Miami Science Museum in Florida, US. Boston-based Suffolk Construction and San Francisco-based Webcor Builders have been awarded the contracts to develop the museum, which was designed by British firm Grimshaw Architects. The 250,000sq ft museum will boast a 35,000sq ft aquarium, a planetarium and 55,000sq ft of indoor and outdoor exhibition space. It will be part of a new Miami

Small and medium-sized leisure businesses should find it easier to secure bank loans and funding, according to plans outlined by chancellor Alistair Darling in today's budget announcement. The budget - the last by chancellor Alistair Darling before the expected general election in May - will see Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds make £94bn available in business loans. Darling added that "at least half" of this will be made available

A performance of Swan Lake by the Russian State Ballet has marked the official opening of the new Grand Canal Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. Designed by Switzerland-based architect Daniel Libeskind and Dublin-based McCauley Daye O'Connell, the 2,111-seat venue forms the centre of the Grand Canal Square development. Chartered Land has delivered the theatre, which boasts seven bars, the Circle Club and a rooftop terrace bar and is operated by Live

Leeds City Council (LCC) has unveiled new images showing the internal layout of a proposed £80m entertainment venue, which will be built in the West Yorkshire city. The council revealed detailed design work is now at an "advanced stage" on the interior configuration of the Leeds Arena, which aims to provide an unobstructed sightline for each of a 13,500-capacity audience. Under the 'super theatre' proposals for the venue, the furthest

Plans for a new £35m arts and innovation centre in Bangor, North Wales, have taken a step forward after Bangor University announced the start of design work. The Pontio Project - a name derived from the Welsh word for "to bridge" - will include the creation of a dynamic innovation hub, learning facilities and a new home for the university's students' union. Indoor and outdoor performance spaces, including a 450-seat

Warwick District Council (WDC) has approved plans for the refurbishment of a Grade II-listed former church in Leamington Spa to provide a new home for the Loft Theatre Company. The former United Reform Church building on Spencer Street will be extended and revamped as part of the project to create a new performance centre, which will establish a new focal point for the arts and creative industries in the town.

A new museum in Abu Dhabi, being built under advisement from the British Museum, is to open 2013. The Zayed National Museum, which is being developed by the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), is to be the cornerstone of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District. Designed by London's Foster + Partners, the 12,000sq m (130,000sq ft) museum is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late founder and

The North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, US, is to open its new 127,000sq ft expansion in April next year. Work began on the building, which was designed by New York-based Thomas Phifer and Partners, in December 2006. The new building will be home to the museum's permanent collection of 5,000 objects. The existing building will have its lobby renovated and will become a centre for temporary exhibitions, collections

The Neues Museum in Berlin, Germany has officially opened its doors for the first time in 70 years after a 212m euro (£192m) redevelopment project. The museum, which originally opened in 1855, was closed at the outbreak of World War II in 1939 and was subsequently damaged by bombing raids. British architect David Chipperfield’s refurbishment involved the reworking of the exhibition spaces, with modern design replacing the parts of the

Work has begun on the US$12m (£7.36m) Louisiana State Sports Hall of Fame and Regional History Museum in Natchitoches, US. The Sports Hall of Fame will feature a collection of memorabilia donated by 250 Louisiana sports figures, while the history museum will operate as part of the Louisiana State Museum system and will focus on the contributions of the diverse cultures that have shaped the state. The 28,000sq ft building

Aberdeen City Council (ACC) has appointed Glasgow-based Gareth Hoskins Architects (GHA) to draw up plans for a major revamp of Aberdeen Art Gallery ahead of the venue's 125th anniversary in 2010. GHA will now create a design study for the scheme, which will be financed by the Marguerite McBey Trust - set up in 2001 to distribute a bequest left to help fund a range of projects promoting contemporary art.