THEATRE companies could soon be a source of entertainment to rural communities, if plans from the Worcestershire Arts Forum go ahead.

Village halls, libraries and schools have all been outlined as venues across the county for small scale touring groups.

The plans, very much in their infancy stage, outline ideas for a whole performance network to reach out to the smallest village communities.

To gauge public opinion, the Arts Forum is considering the launch of a pilot scheme in Wychavon to see how popular and feasible the tours would be.

"This is an ongoing project which will need proper consultation with all art providers across the county," said Louise James, assistant county arts officer.

"We still need to evaluate what entertainment the general public would like to see at their village halls, how we could implement the scheme, and once in place could we then find enough support to maintain a suitable network."

The Swan Theatre in Worcester has undertaken rural touring before, with performances of Mickey and Me.

The tour, which received sponsorship at the time from Central Television was a success, but artistic director Jenny Stephens, felt a better infrastructure and support for the venues was needed.

Using Worcester theatre companies, or travelling groups from other established counties to fill the current gap, is another consideration to face.

Similar schemes are up and running in the West Midlands, where other art forms such as live music and visual arts have also become commonplace at community halls.

The Worcestershire Arts Forum's next meeting is on Monday, September 17.