Streep backs arts cash drive

Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep arrived in the North today to boost an arts funding campaign.

Greeted with a hug from one adoring teenage autograph hunter, the 58-year-old looked glamorous in a black dress as she posed for photographs outside the Old Museum Arts Centre (Omac) in Belfast.

She is supporting enthusiasts’ bid to raise money for a new arts centre on the site in the heart of the city’s Cathedral Quarter.

“I’m proud to come to Belfast to celebrate this city’s commitment to Omac and its great good work,” she said.

“Sometimes it is easy to despair in the face of world events. It can feel like divisiveness and the urge to destroy has won the day.

“That’s why the Omac project is a cause for celebration and a template for hope.”

The New Jersey-born actress will host a dinner and answer questions from local actors.

She starred in films including 'The French Lieutenant’s Woman', Clint Eastwood’s screen adaptation of 'The Bridges Of Madison County', a remake of 'The Manchurian Candidate' and the hit 'The Devil Wears Prada'.

One onlooker said: “She looked very Hollywood, you can tell when people hold themselves like that. She was not put out by the shouting - she took it all in her stride.”

A winner of two Academy Awards, a Bafta and six Golden Globes, she is the most nominated actor in Academy Award history.

Arts campaigners want to build a £16.5m (€24.3m) facility in the heart of Belfast, which has experienced economic regeneration since the political power-sharing was restored last May.

They have been given the land by government regeneration company Laganside Corporation and only have to raise another £1.5m (€2.2m) to meet their target.

The new venue will include a 300-400 seat and a 120-seat theatre, art galleries, dance studios, rehearsal spaces and education rooms.

It will also have a bar and restaurant.

The Arts Council sponsoring group and the Government have already contributed much of the investment.

The arts centre is one of the North's leading performing and visual arts venues.