MORE villages and rural communities across Wiltshire will experience live performances on their doorstep thanks to a £28,500 grant to Rural Arts Wiltshire, the county's rural touring scheme.

The grant from Arts Council England, South West will enable more people to benefit from the scheme, which stages up to 72 live performances and 12 participatory events in the county every year.

The additional funding means Rural Arts Wiltshire can also consider developing an additional summer season of outdoor performances from 2005.

Rural Arts Wiltshire offers villages and rural communities the chance to stage music, theatre, dance, puppetry and comedy by professional artists and companies in two seasons a year.

Each village performance is underwritten by Rural Arts Wiltshire, making it financially viable for these events to take place in venues where normally it would not be possible to afford first class arts events.

The artists' fees are paid for by the scheme while the villages keep a percentage of ticket sales. "Rural Arts Wiltshire now offers a better than ever opportunity to villages who want to stage a live performance featuring high quality professional artists and arts companies," said Nicholas Keyworth, artistic director of Rural Arts Wiltshire.

"We are also keen to develop a visual arts strand to complement the live performances," added scheme co-ordinator Kathryn Riley.

The organisers believe that Rural Arts Wiltshire makes a valuable contribution to rural communities by bringing people of all ages together and contributing to the viability of small communities which can often feel isolated or lacking in services.

Posthorn Arts, organiser of Rural Arts Wiltshire, is keen to hear from anyone living in a Wiltshire village who wants to stage a Rural Arts Wiltshire event in their village hall, pub, school or other venue.

To find out more, contact Rural Arts Wiltshire on (01249) 713924, email info@ruralartswiltshire.org.uk or visit www.ruralartswiltshire.org.uk