FARNHAM Maltings and Arts Partnership Surrey have awarded a £30,000 commission to theatre company Dante or Die in a bid to reach people who don’t normally engage with the arts.

Dante or Die’s production ‘Take on Me’ was selected from more than 80 applications by a panel as the recipient of the ‘not for the likes of me’ commission.

The project, working in collaboration with leisure centres across the county, will begin development in early 2016, with the finished production touring Surrey later in the year.

‘Take On Me’ will be directly inspired by stories of people who use and work in Surrey’s leisure centres, created in collaboration with local people by Dante or Die’s artistic directors Daphna Attias and Terry O’Donovan, alongside playwright Kelly Jones.

Katy Potter of Arts Partnership Surrey said: ”For Arts Partnership Surrey, this project is very much about the unexpected; we hope to thrill, excite, surprise and inspire our surrey communities with something they had never thought theatre could be.

“We are very happy to be working with Dante Or Die to create, what we are sure will be a memorable celebration and occasion in each of the seven Surrey locations the tour visits.”

Daphna Attias and Terry O’Donovan, Dante or Die’s co-artistic directors added: “We’re hugely excited about being awarded the ‘not for the likes of me’ commission.

“We’re particularly looking forward to collaborating with the people who use these spaces; discovering their experiences and stories to inspire and build the show.

“From anecdotes to starring roles, we will encourage local people to get involved and create an amazing local touring show that compliments a year of touring our distinctive brand of site specific theatre to non-arts spaces around the country.”