FILM director Danny Boyle welcomed in the opening of a new Manchester arts centre with a bang.

The Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting filmmaker, aged 58, is a patron of HOME, which was created following the merger of the Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre Company.

The long-awaited centre in Tony Wilson Place has two theatres, a 150-seat studio space, a gallery, five cinema screens, digital production and broadcast facilities, a cafe bar and restaurants.

Thursday’s spectacular opening event – the ‘funfair fanfare’ – featured performances from carnival arts troupe Juba do Leão and mascletà pyrotechnic fireworks from pa-Boom.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Boyle, a former Thornleigh Salesian College student, from Radcliffe, said: "I'm very proud to be associated with HOME.

"These people do all the work and I turn up and do the occasional speech."

He added: "I'm very proud to be associated with somewhere that puts value on culture.

"Culture runs through all of us. It is not quantifiable, not economical, not political, it is much more valuable.

"It is impossible to define exactly — but this place stands for it as well as any."

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, also spoke at the launch. He said: "Who the hell would want to live in a city that has no arts and culture? Because I certainly would not!"