Arts Council of Wales awards a Capital Lottery grant to Pontio, Bangor University’s new arts and innovation centre

Multi million pound arts and innovation centre, Pontio, in the heart of Bangor has received a major funding boost of £3,250,000 from the Arts Council of Wales. Pontio, due to open in 2014 will become a cultural and economic power-house for the city and provide a fitting platform for the best of our home grown companies.  

The £44 million pound centre will include a flexible auditorium theatre with a capacity of up to 450 seats, cinema space, studio theatre with seating of 120 and an outdoor performance space. It will offer a broad range of regional, national and international artistic events that will mark an innovative and imaginative new approach to arts provision.  

The project will also include facilities for interdisciplinary design to drive the development of new products, processes and services.

This landmark building will bring together the teaching of the arts and sciences and will also provide cutting-edge teaching and learning facilities that will benefit the local community, businesses and University students.  

Bangor University Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Hughes said:

“This is great news for Bangor as well as for the whole of Wales and beyond. Pontio will become a hub for the local community, bringing people and businesses together to promote investment and regeneration in North Wales. It will capitalise on local skills and expertise to create and safeguard hundreds of jobs and business opportunities which will all promote economic growth in the region.

Dr Kath Davies, Director Investment and Funding Services, Arts Council of Wales added:

“Pontio is an ambitious and long-awaited project which has the potential to create an inspirational environment for the performing arts, in which outstanding artistic events will be created for a range of audiences and networks of innovation will be nurtured.”

Publication date: 28 June 2012