A THEATRE art project, which brought together a diverse range of community groups, has been shortlisted for a community award in Hambleton.

On Our Turf was a collaboration between York Theatre Royal and communities in nearby market towns. The project, funded largely by Arts Council England, aims to work with communities throughout a series of festivals and events.

They included large-scale community productions, pop-up music and comedy events, and world-class artists appearing in Helmsley and Easingwold, among other locations.

The project culminated in 2015 with a promenade production of Alice in Wonderland in Easingwold, as part of the town’s LittleFest. The performance, directed by Phil Grainger, involved more than 100 residents and was seen by an audience of more than 500 people over a weekend in October.

The project has been nominated for a Hambleton Community Award, run by the district council.

Beverly Bond, one of the community festival organisers said: “The event was highly inclusive and brought together many different groups of residents including people with learning disabilities, mental health service users, young people, the elderly, local businesses, schools, the Women's Institute, to name but a few.

“It did everything and more than a community arts project could be expected to achieve and I am very proud that this took place in our town.”

The winners of the Hambleton Community Awards will be announced at a ceremony on the evening of the March 17.