THE Theatre at Chipping Norton is to be given £30,000 by West Oxfordshire District Council's cabinet.

The money comes on top of a grant of £40,000 from Arts Council England, for a fundraising strategy and "audience development initiatives" rather than subsidise productions.

Hilary Biles, the district council cabinet member for leisure and recreation, said: "Chipping Norton Theatre reaches beyond west Oxfordshire and supports activities for all residents, especially for young people through its youth theatre."

The Arts Council funding this year, unlike previous years, does not subsidise productions but is to help draw up a clear fundraising strategy for the future as well as audience development initiatives.

Other main beneficiaries from the district council funding are the Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company (£10,930), Ithaca , which works with people with physicial disabilities or learning difficulties and older residents (£5,040), West Oxfordshire Arts based at Bampton (£4,018) and Oxfordshire Youth Arts Partnership (£3,900).

A range of smaller grants between £100 and £900 have been awarded to community arts groups, projects and events.