The Arts Association is a forum where matters concerning the Arts in the Oswestry area can be discussed and news and dates of performances exchanged. Seminars on insurance, fire regulations, licensing and other important aspects of performance have been held.

It also distributes, through the Executive committee, grants to support the various activities in the area. For example, grants have been made to purchase equipment needed, to assist hire of rehearsal rooms and venues, to pay professional fees and musical scores.

In recent years, the Association has awarded bursaries first to young people up to eighteen years old and subsequently to adults, enabling them to enhance their own expertise and in some cases to bring their expertise to others in their groups. Bursaries have included working in glass, animation, percussion, singing lessons and even tango classes. The scope is vast.

The association website not only gives information about membership, grants and so on but provides a valuable ‘What’s On’ section and links to other member organisations. We are planning to extend the facilities of the website to those organisations which do not have their own site.

At the moment we are going through a very exciting time with the new funding from the three of our four LJCs, which has given us more funds than before and so more opportunities to promote, encourage and nurture the Arts in this lovely area of Shropshire.

I hope that the website is useful to you and that you will consider joining the Association either as an organisation or individual member.

Christine Hughes - Chairman