Communities Minister Gordon Lyons visited the Grand Opera House in Belfast recently with representatives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Roisín McDonough, chief executive of the Arts Council, and Nora Douds, chair of the Arts Council, welcomed the minister. Ian Wilson, chief executive officer of the Grand Opera House, and Cathal Geoghegan, chair of the Grand Opera House Trust, also joined the visit.

The venue receives funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. It hosts touring theatre, opera, dance, comedy, family and music shows. The theatre draws an audience of around 300,000 people each year.

The Grand Opera House provides over 150 permanent and casual job opportunities. It supports creative skills development across Northern Ireland. The visit focused on the theatre's history since 1895 and its effects on the arts sector, local economy and tourism.

Minister Lyons attended a performance of a stage adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird during the visit. The production forms part of its debut tour in the UK and Ireland.