FILM director Danny Boyle has been named as patron for a new venue he hopes will inspire the next generation of creative talent.

The 57-year-old, from Radcliffe, is a patron of HOME — created by the merger of the Cornerhouse cinema and the Library Theatre Company, in Oxford Street, Manchester.

The new cultural hub and social space will open in Spring 2015 and will present “an ambitious programme of bold contemporary visual art, theatre and film”.

The mastermind behind the spectacular 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony, Danny is proud of his northern roots and has been a patron of Cornerhouse since 1986.

Former Thornleigh pupil Danny, whose passion for theatre stems back to his days as a schoolboy usher at Bolton’s Octagon, said: “We’re not going to lead the industrial world anymore and that world now looks to us for our arts and culture.

“The world is inspired by our creativity and one effect of that can be an extraordinary economic benefit.

“What Manchester is known for now is football and music.

“But what it will be known for in 20 years could be film or theatre. HOME ensures that the next generation has a facility in which they can express themselves.”

The £25 million project, funded by Manchester City Council and Arts Council England, will house a 500-seat theatre, a 150-seat theatre, a gallery, five cinema screens, digital production and broadcast facilities, a café bar and restaurant.

The Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire director said: “To have this wonderful expansion of arts facilities outside London, especially at a time of sustained pressure on arts funding, is such a shock.

“But it’s what you would expect from a visionary city. HOME will stand as a compliment to the vision of the arts institutions in Manchester and of Manchester City Council.

“Their faith in the power of the arts to transform lives and the economy is impossible not to support.”

Dave Moutrey, chief executive of HOME, in First Street North, just off Whitworth Street, Manchester, said: “I’m delighted that Danny has agreed to be our patron.

“He is a supreme example of British creativity.

“He is an inspiration to the artists we are working with in theatre, film and visual arts and is a fantastic advocate for audiences and the importance of supporting the creation and production of the arts.”