Our Friends of the Lyric have been raising awareness and support for the Lyric Theatre across the US since 2005. Twelve years ago we rebuilt the Lyric’s new home on the banks of the River Lagan with the help of you, our Irish American friends, and this continues to be a source of great pride to people right across Ireland. Last year the Lyric Theatre won the prestigious RIBA Gold Medal, the highest honour in Irish Architecture, in recognition of an exceptional building that has proved the test of time.
Our Friends of the Lyric have also supported key projects, including Lyric Digital (transforming our digital archives), and supporting our Lyric Playwright in Residence scheme.
As a not-for-profit theatre and a charity, this support is so valuable to us.
We are committed to building towards the future, and now as we look forward to our 75th anniversary in 2026 (also the 15th anniversary of our award-winning building) our ambitions for the theatre are as great as ever. Our future plans include touring more of our work to America, and expanding our young people’s programme, to widen access and participation.
Please contact Claire Murray our Head of Development on clairemurray@lyrictheatre.co.uk to learn more about how you can support the work of the Lyric Theatre.
Here are the ways in which your gift can make a difference:
A donation of up to $2,500 could provide multiple bursaries for young people (ages 6-18) to attend Theatre School.
These young people will be from an area of high deprivation in Belfast and will have been first supported by the Lyric through our 'Theatre School on the Road' project.

A donation of up to $10,000 could fund a Theatre School Project in our local community or in areas of multiple deprivation across Northern Ireland.
Each year, we bring Lyric workshops to young people who wouldn't otherwise have the chance to attend the theatre or may face barriers to engaging with the arts. These workshops are planned and delivered by our award winning Creative Learning team and are offered for free to Primary and Secondary Schools across Northern Ireland.

A donation of up to $50,000 could see the creation of a 4 week touring production for over 5,000 young people in schools across Northern Ireland.
In the past we have run tours for young people from ages 4 right through to 18 in the topics of; crime awareness, bullying and recycling and sustainability.

Donations of $500,000+ have the potential to leave a life-long impact on the Lyric, be it in operations, capital development or another area you specifically wish to fund.
If you wish to discuss further something you would like to fund, please contact our Head of Development, Claire Murray, by Clicking Here.
For a donation of $500,000 or more, we would wish to acknowledge this contribution in one of the following ways:
- Naming rights of the Lyric Main Stage for 5 years
- Contribution to capital build and, where possible, an allocated named area

A message Lyric Patron, Liam Neeson
Some of our American Friends of the Lyric...






















