More than 10,000 Worcestershire people ventured to Hereford's Courtyard last year.

The arts centre, now 10 years old, is celebrating after a hugely successful autumn season which also saw 19,000 attend the Snow White panto.

The Courtyard has seen a dramatic turnaround in the past 12 months, following a series of major changes to staffing, resourcing, planning and management.

"While the papers are reporting slowdowns in the arts, with people staying away from theatres and cinemas, we're delighted that people from Herefordshire and our neighbouring counties are still clearly getting enormous enjoyment from the range of entertainment we offer here at The Courtyard," said chief executive Martyn Green.

"We've just had our most successful autumn season, with more shows than ever sold out, and more than 2,000 more people attending panto than in 2006.

"The strength of this local support puts us in a great position this year, both for securing increased funding, but also for successfully booking more fantastic live events and big names."

To find out what is coming up at the Courtyard visit www.courtyard.org.uk or call the box office on 0870 1122330.