Of course it took a while for such a big project to get started, but it was planned in the 60s, built in the 70s and eventually opened to the public in 1983. Ever since then it has proved to be a great success. It is not privately owned, like many arts centres, but is still in public hands, it's run by the City Council. Both our National Symphony Orchestra and National Theatre Company were involved in the planning of the project, and they are now based there, giving regular performances every week, and as the centre is open 363 days of the year, there are plenty of performances to choose from. So to give you some idea of what's on, and to help you choose from the many possibilities, we've made a selection of the star attractions. If you're interested in classical music, then we recommend you go along to the National on either Monday or Tuesday evening at 7.30 for a spectacular production of "The Magic Flute", probably the most popular of all Mozart's operas. It's in the Garden Hall and tickets start at only ￡8.00, but you'll have to be early if you want to get them that cheap. And remember, it's only on for those two evenings.