SEVEN of Oxford’s colleges have signed up to trial a landmark scheme to work with city arts organisations.

From April it will allow groups receiving funding from Arts Council England to request space for rehearsals, performances, and meetings through Oxford City Council.

It could range from traditional, oak-panelled college rooms to contemporary spaces with lots of natural light, to Lincoln College’s sports pavilion.

Scheme organiser and St Peter’s College fellow Professor Abigail Williams said: “It shows for the first time some of the ways the colleges can start to work with the community. We hope it will lead to more sharing, not just of space but also of ideas.”

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Colleges signed up to the scheme are St Peter’s College, Pembroke College, Lincoln College, St Antony’s College, St Hugh’s College, Hertford College and Wolfson College.

Oxford University has also put forward both the Radcliffe Humanities building – the former Radcliffe Infirmary site – and the Careers Service building in Banbury Road.

The scheme will be in place for a year and could be expanded further to include other colleges and university buildings if it is successful.

Prof Williams added: “We see it as a stepping stone towards bigger things and the colleges I have spoken to are very excited about the possibilities. One I spoke to was even interested in having its grounds used for parkour.”

Oxford University vice-chancellor Andrew Hamilton said: “Community groups have always used college and University buildings, but often in quite a piecemeal way arranged through personal contacts.

“I am delighted that this scheme puts in place a formal system to encourage community and arts groups to do their valuable work in rooms provided by Oxford’s colleges.”

Dancin’ Oxford organiser Claire Thompson said the scheme would be especially useful to the festival, which often needs rehearsal spaces for visiting performers.

She said: “There is a lot of untapped potential in the Oxford colleges because of their central location and the fact arts groups have not previously had much access to them.

“Some of the city’s most beautiful environments can be found inside and areas like the quadrangles present some really interesting opportunities for live performance.”

“It’s a fantastic scheme and I think arts groups will be lining up to take advantage of it”

Oxford City Council leader Bob Price said: “This is a fantastic pilot partnership project which will offer great benefits to many Oxford-based cultural organisations, while also bringing high quality arts activities and events into the various participating colleges in the city.”

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