News

They say that the best things in life are free and young people across Cornwall are about to get £50,000 of complimentary theatre tickets thanks to an exciting new government scheme. The "a night less ordinary" initiative is designed to encourage more young adults and teenagers to visit performing arts venues across the country.

It follows the awarding of £50,000, spread over two years, to Venue Cornwall - a consortium made up of the Hall for Cornwall in Truro; Carn to Cove (which represents 62 village halls); The Acorn Arts Centre in Penzance; Sterts Theatre in Upton Cross; The Keay Theatre in St Austell; and the Helford Theatre at Truro College. Venue Cornwall is only one of ten venues across the whole of England to receive the maximum grant of £50,000.

Run by the Arts Council England, the £2.5 million pilot scheme is designed to make the performing arts more accessible to a younger audience and to open up the inspiration, challenges, rewards and breadth of what's available to them on their doorstep. From music and dance through to traditional plays and pioneering theatre, Cornwall is awash with brilliant opportunities to see live performance. From mid February, anyone under 26, living in Cornwall can take advantage of a set number of free tickets for various shows on a first-come, first-served basis. To find out which venues are participating visit www.freeticketscornwall.com

Young people can go to the national website to find out about other venues in the country offering free tickets. www.anightlessordinary.org.uk

See the how to book section of our website for details of how to claim your free ticket