A FESTIVAL weekend to launch the merger of Salisbury Arts Centre with the Playhouse has been awarded £15,000.

The two bodies combined with the International Arts Festival last month, with the new organisation called Wiltshire Creative.

To celebrate the merger those behind the new body have been working on a “weekend of celebratory cultural activity for Salisbury” which will take place over the August bank holiday weekend.

The weekend aims to fill some of the gap left by the International Arts Festival, which was cancelled for 2018 to allow the Trustees of Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury International Arts Festival and Salisbury Arts Centre to focus on the merger.

To run the launch event the organisation was awarded with funding from Salisbury City Council at a meeting on Monday.

Gareth Machin, from Wiltshire Creative, said the festival is aimed to “excite and inform people about the new artistic offering”.

He added that it will celebrate the cultural offerings before the merger but will also explore the future of Wiltshire Creative.

Speaking at the meeting, executive director Sebastian Warrack said as part of the merger, investment needs to be made to both buildings, with a boost of around £300,000 set to be ploughed into the venues.

“The idea is to give high-quality arts not just in Salisbury but across the region. It is a wonderful opportunity,” he added.

St Thomas’s Church was also awarded £2,000 for a festival of flowers, art and music from May 29 to June 3.

Organiser John Bruce-Ball said: “St Thomas’s Church has not held a flower festival for some years but we seeking to fill the gap left by the Salisbury International Arts Festival in a small way.

“Arranging a festival of flowers, arts and music is part of the appeal we have launched this year, Quest 2020 for the restoration of the church.

“We want to put on a great show in the church.”

The church has also been given £1,000 from the parochial church council for the event.

City council leader Councillor Matthew Dean said: “I think it is something that is going to have a great deal of interest in the community.”

Also receiving funding was a Ska Extravaganza, which councillors granted £5,130 towards the cost of the headline act and stage cover, along with running costs.

The free event will take place on June 1 in the Market Square.