A THEATRE venue for families, children and young people in Darlington has welcomed another substantial funding boost this week.

Theatre Hullabaloo, attached to the Darlington Hippodrome, has received £50,000 grant from the Gillian Dickinson Trust to fund its creative play space within the child-centred theatre.

The Gillian Dickinson Creative Play space will house installations created by artists working with Darlington youngsters to develop ideas for sensory experiences.

Alexander Dickinson, trustee of the Gillian Dickinson Trust, said: “The Gillian Dickinson Trust is delighted to be able to support Theatre Hullabaloo as it works to inspire children and young people from across the North-East to play and learn.

“It’s going to be inspiring to have the only specialist theatre of its kind north of London open in the region, with both the theatre and the creative play installations offering the whole community a very valuable resource. "

The flagship venue is due to open in December with final touches being made to the theatre inside Borough Road's former Edwardian Fire Station.

Laura Case, development director at Theatre Hullabaloo, said: “The children that we consulted throughout the design process wanted play to be at the heart of the building, and so that is where we have placed the Gillian Dickinson Creative Play.

"The space will include a curated programme of exciting play installations created by leading artists, developed in a collaborative way with children.

"The artist-led installations will create immersive experiences for children and families to access for free."