The theatre company that launched Swindon star Billie Piper is raising the curtain on its largest ever annual programme.

Sixth Sense, Swindon's professional youth drama company based in Victoria Road, is set to reach more than 40,000 young people in the next year.

This autumn also sees the start of Swindon Youth Theatre Company, an advanced group which aims to develop skills and offer further opportunities to more experienced members.

Benedict Eccles, Sixth Sense's artistic director, said: "We are very excited about the range and quality of work we are developing with internation- ally acclaimed theatre practitioners, local schools and local young people.

"The Swindon Youth Theatre Company is an extension of the youth theatre we have run for a number of years and will focus on those young people who are serious about pursuing theatre as a career."

The new programme begins with a series of plays exploring the issues of unplanned teenage pregnancy.

Swindon has one of the UK's worst teenage pregnancy rates and Residing Issues 2: Taking It Lying Down- follows last year's successful run of in-school residencies. This year nine Swindon secondary schools will participate.

The programme for schools will continue in January with a secondary school tour of The Nearly Men, a new play by TV and theatre writer Brian Jordan.

The play, designed to help teenagers examine important friendships as they journey through childhood to maturity, will tour for eight weeks with over 60 performances.

Around 50 primary schools will also benefit from the company's work when Molly the Maker and The Long Lost Lake tours throughout Febru-ary and March.

The production, which explores the power of poetry, has been commissioned through the Arts Council of England and written by Nigel Forde.

The launch follows fears earlier this year that proposed council cuts would jeopardise the company's future.

But further increases in funding next year from the Arts Council and Southern and South West Arts will bring additional revenue.