A Bacup theatre company which tours worldwide has scooped a top award in East Lancashire's creative industry Oscars'.

Horse and Bamboo received the Creative Inspiration Award at the event in St Mary's Chambers, Rawtenstall.

For more than 25 years, the theatre company it has created high-quality and original theatre, using masks, mime, animation, puppetry and music.

And the original work of Horse and Bamboo, which is based in Victoria Buildings on Bacup Road, has been shown to audiences throughout England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Spain, America, Hungary and Slovakia.

The Creativity Works Awards 2006 attracted guests and dignitaries from all over East Lancashire to Rawtenstall including mayors and mayoress, councillors, local business entrepreneurs and people from the creative industries.

Award winners ranged from Year 3 pupils publishing books to long-established engineering businesses re-inventing themselves as producers of high art, via student fashion designers and international media kingpin Anthony H Wilson.

Chris May, creative director of Creative Partnerships East Lancashire and judge, said: "It was fantastic to share this event with so much creative talent in East Lancashire."