The £2.5m Y Llwyfan cultural centre at Trinity College in Carmarthen, south Wales, has been handed a European funding boost worth almost £200,000.

Developed as a cultural and creative hub for rural Carmarthenshire, the centre will be the new home of the national Welsh language touring theatre company, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru (THGC). Trinity College and Carmarthenshire County Council (CCC) have received £195,745 from the Rural Development Plan for the project, which is being developed in partnership with THGC and the Welsh Assembly Government.

The funding will be used to pay for a new project officer to promote training and marketing at Y Llwyfan, which will be used to hold courses, events and master classes. Links will also be established with schools and colleges to promote cultural industries as a career option. Rhian Phillips, European Programmes Manager for CCC, said: "A number of tenants have already taken up space at the centre, and the project demonstrates how effective partnership working can be."