SOMETIMES a day is never quite what you expect it to be, a football match had a greater effect on our theatre than it should have this week, when a comedian, who was due to perform at Huntingdon Hall (we have now cancelled the gig), chose to make racist tweets.

The response to our swift actions to terminate our relationship with the comedian were commended by thousands of people on our Twitter account and through messages of support to the venues, but sadly the one per cent who choose to send abusive emails to staff for standing against hate speech still filter through.

Making change for the better is vitally important to me as we move the organisation towards a more creative and inclusive environment for all those who use the spaces Worcester Live provide.

There has been a real creative energy flowing through the building since we have offered our studio spaces to young emerging artists to develop their work and we were thrilled to find out recently that we have been successful in a recent application to the Arts Council England for a project entitled Platform WR1.

This project will offer free access to venue space for writing, devising, rehearsal and performance.

Artists will also be supported in their development journey with tailored professional mentored support ensuring creative practices reach their full development.

The project which has also been supported by Vamos Theatre, Severn Arts, The University of Worcester and In Good Company will assist in retaining local talent for the city of Worcester and ensure the emergence of a strong developing emerging artist culture from the Three Counties.

To apply for a place on platform WR1, contact Owen@worcesterlive.co.uk