THOUSANDS of pounds for art has been won by a Bury-based group who aim to bring art to the environment.

Projects Environment, based in Turn Village, Ramsbottom, are one of 13 North-west organisations to benefit from a £1 million boost from the Arts Council of England's "Arts 4 Everyone" lottery scheme.

They have secured a £85,000 grant which will bring public art to rural farmlands around The Forest of Bowland.

The scheme, called Artbarns, will focus on the communities, schools, farmers and landowners within the area. It aims to bring temporary and permanent work from a number of international artists to disused and working barns and farmsheds.

Celia Larner from Projects Environment described the project as "very exciting".

She said: "We hope it will help the public understand what is happening in our farms and how the industry is changing."

Artists will meet with farmers and local people this summer to discuss the work. Installations and other artwork will slowly appear over the next two years.

The North-west came second only to London in the latest allocation of cash awards.

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