Hampshire touring theatre company Forest Forge, which lost its £117,000-a-year Arts Council funding two years ago, has won £176,000 to fund a three-year project.

The theatre company, which is based in Ringwood but tours across the county, won the cash for its Connections project, which will examine the effects of war on the area.

The company will be working with schools and museums to craft three 45-minute shows in the first year, on the First and Second World Wars and modern warfare.