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Location Information:
Wales
Millennium Centre (Welsh: Canolfan
Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre
located in the Cardiff Bay area of
Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a
total area of 4.7 acres (1.9 ha).
Phase 1 of the building was opened
during the weekend of the 26–28
November 2004 and phase 2 opened on
22 January 2009 with an inaugural
concert. The centre has hosted
performances of opera, ballet,
dance, comedy and musicals.
The
venue, which also has a nickname
locally as the Armadillo, comprises
one large theatre and two smaller
halls. It also includes shops, bars
and restaurants. The Centre is home
to the national opera, dance,
theatre and literature companies of
Wales, as well as the national
orchestra. In total, the Centre has
eight arts organisations in
residence. The main theatre, the
Donald Gordon Theatre, holds 1,897
people, the BBC Hoddinott Hall holds
350 people and the Weston Studio
Theatre holds 250 people.
The
Centre is the successor to a
previous project on the site, the
Cardiff Bay Opera House. This was a
plan, supported by the Cardiff Bay
Development Corporation, to
construct a permanent home for the
Welsh National Opera. However, the
project failed to win financial
support from the Millennium
Commission, the body which
distributed funds from the UK
National Lottery. After the Cardiff
Bay Opera House project was
rejected, a new project was
conceived that included more than
opera and was felt to be a better
reflection of Welsh culture. The
change of name symbolised this, but
the project still had to overcome
many hurdles. Funding from the Welsh
Assembly and Millennium Commission
took years to obtain. Cardiff
Council had to buy the land after
the previous owners, Grosvenor
Waterside (Associated British Ports
property division) threatened to
built a retail centre there due to
the delays. Further boosts were
given by large donations from South
African businessman Donald Gordon
and a loan from the international
bank, HSBC. The GB£20 million
donation from Donald Gordon was
split evenly between the Royal Opera
House and Wales Millennium Centre
and was spread over five years. This
is believed to be the largest single
private donation ever made to the
arts in the UK
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