A wide-ranging culture plan aims to make Perth a centre of excellence for community arts activities.
The project, launched by the team behind the city’s theatre and concert hall, will run for three years and hopes to inspire thousands of young people.
Horsecross Arts announced the re-launch of its programme after securing fresh backing from local charity group, the Gannochy Trust.
Under four project banners – Join In, Performance and Participation, Enterprise and Celebrate – the programme will reach youngsters, families, teachers and communities.
Local schoolchildren got to work on Tuesday on a set design challenge, creating models for the city’s next pantomime.
Noëlle Cobden, head of creative learning at Horsecross, said: “The new programme will see us welcome people into our fantastic new Creative Learning spaces at Perth Theatre, as well as getting out into rural communities and working with people in their own environments.
“We will encourage links between professional artists and the Perth and Kinross community, providing opportunities for local people to work with us to create new and exciting performances.”
He said: “The programme will focus on widening access and diversity, while offering bespoke and innovative training initiatives for the next generation of theatre and music-makers.”
Other activities lined up for young people include a rural youth theatre project, a dance group aimed at primary-aged boys and a technical theatre skills initiative for secondary drama pupils.
Fathers will be encouraged to take their young children to creative play sessions.
The Join In part of the programme will involve a series of “life-enhancing” workshops for under 21s.
They will be delivered in close partnership with local organisations and young people to assess gaps in provision. New sessions will include Perth Youth Theatre satellite projects at Kinross, Alyth and Kirkmichael.
The set-making challenge is part of the Performance and Participation scheme. A similar event last year saw more than 500 children from 16 schools making creations for the theatre’s homecoming pantomime Aladdin.
As part of the programme, pupils from 15 local schools will work with playwright Clare Duffy on her new show Big Data.
There will also be masterclasses, theatre tours for youngsters and an online initiative which will show the process of bring a production from page to stage.
Enterprise will give children and young adults the chance to explore the range of jobs available in the local arts industry.
And the Celebrate part of the programme will honour past events, as well as marking present and future achievements.
