Arts Council England (ACE) has awarded Creative Futures Cumbria (CFC) a grant of £49,950 to help fund the development of a new training consortia for artists working with young and disabled people.

Working in partnership with a range of organisations, including the Cumbria County Council and the University of Cumbria, CFC will provide relevant expertise to help artists expand their knowledge base and business acumen. CFC will also provide higher and further education accreditation to help artists increase their career opportunities and provide mentors to support the development of new artists, as well as increasing the number of ambassadors to promote careers in the creative industries.

Anthony Preston, head of resource development for ACE, North West, said: "National Lottery awards such as this help us to support projects that have a significant impact on Cumbrian artists and support our mission of getting great art to everyone." CFC director Margaret Riches added: "Our training programme will address these generic issues. It will be combined with access to advice and guidance from more experienced artists who will act as mentors during their first project experiences."

CFC will also work alongside Cumbria Cultural Skills Partnership, Prism Arts and Sound Wave as part of the new consortia.