22 January 2013 Last updated at 11:46 ET

Cambridge Arts Theatre is given £500,000 grant

Artist's impression of the expanded Arts Theatre in the centre of Cambridge

Cambridge Arts Theatre has been given a £500,000 grant to help fund its £12m expansion.

The money, awarded by Arts Council England, will be spent on redeveloping and extending the theatre's foyer.

A new 200-seat studio will also be built at the theatre as part of the Act Two project.

Dave Murphy, chief executive, said: "We are all thrilled that the Arts Council has recognised our ambitions for Cambridge Arts Theatre."

The theatre was built in 1936 and attracts more than 150,000 visitors a year.

Details of the redevelopment were announced in May 2011 but work on the project is yet to begin.

The theatre says it has raised close to £1m for the project, on top of the Arts Council England grant.

"There is still a lot of work to do and a lot of money to raise for us to be able to realise our vision for this theatre," Mr Murphy said.