LOCAL schoolchildren are lottery winners after a cash grant to boost art in schools.

Youngsters throughout the borough will benefit from the £182,000 grant from the National Lottery through the North West Arts Board's Arts for Everyone Express scheme.

The money will go to Bolton Council's education and arts department to help them develop their artists in school scheme, but the scheme will also cover Bury and Rochdale.

A variety of arts will be brought into schools under the three-year scheme, from sculpture to circus skills - and even opera.

Mr Kevin Massey, Bury's part-time adviser on art, developed the bid for Bury.

The project will help subsidise the cost to schools of hiring and artist, and will involve sponsorship from the community. A directory of artists will also be produced under the scheme.

The lottery grant of £182,000 is towards a total cost of nearly half a million. Another third will have to be raised in sponsorship, with the final third falling on the school.

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