CIRENCESTER’S community radio station is turning itself into a hotbed of creativity.

Over the next 12 months, four ‘Creatives in Residence’ will work with Corinium Radio to promote and celebrate the artistic talent found across the region.

Each ‘creative’, drawn from a variety of disciplines, will work with the station for three months.

Renowned artist Laurie Plant will take up the mantel first, and is planning to donate a piece of original artwork with a local theme which will be auctioned by sealed bids to raise funds for Corinium Radio.

The idea for the creative link-up came from Corinium Radio chair Carole Boydell with the hope to leave a lasting legacy by the end of the year.

Carole said: “We decided to work with and promote creative talent locally as a direct response to winning the [Cirencester] Chamber of Commerce award.

“As a radio station we support all kinds of creative people and it was fantastic to win.

“However, we didn’t just want to put the award on a windowsill and celebrate amongst ourselves.

“We really wanted to mark the year in a way that involved the wider community.”