A PROJECT that will see young people help decide what shows appear at their local theatres has benefited from £150,000 in Arts Council funding.

The Pendle Leisure Trust programme aims to give more people better access to quality theatrical work across a range of venues, including the ACE Centre in Nelson and The Muni in Colne.

The project aims to devise, develop and deliver an exciting and energetic new artistic programme between February 2014 and October 2015.

Kirsty Rose, Pendle Leisure Trust’s arts development manager, said: “Although the grant has been awarded to Pendle Leisure Trust, we are working in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Council and Culturapedia to deliver a quality theatre programme for the people of Lancashire at a number of venues.

“We will be using real people, including young people, to choose our programme and relay it to our audiences.

“So watch out for new and exciting children and family theatre shows, bigger name musicians and a chance to be involved in helping to shape the shows around you.

“The Strategic Touring Programme is designed to encourage collaboration between organisations, so that more people can experience and be inspired by the arts, particularly in places which rely on touring for much of their arts entertainment.”

Alison Clark-Jenkins, director north for Arts Council England, said: “I am delighted that Pendle Leisure Trust is being supported through our Strategic Touring Programme.

“Their plans to work with four venues across the region, as well as youth and community programmers, will increase the opportunities for people to see high-quality work where they live, as well as enable the development of future projects which will continue to benefit audiences.”