A new 450sq m stone amphitheatre in Salford, Manchester, has become the canvas for a youth art project as part of an initiative to engage the community in their recreational space. The theatre, which will be used for outdoor activities and environmental education, is set in what will become one of Europe’s largest urban parks.

Over 60 school children aged between seven and 14-years-old, along with local families, were encouraged to carve forest-inspired designs onto the stone bricks of the venue. The project was led by North West sculptor Michael Disley, in conjunction with Groundwork: Manchester, Salford and Trafford – a regional trust that specialises in developing sustainable communities and environmental improvements.

“The amphitheatre will provide people across Greater Manchester with an exciting new opportunity to get active and make new friends performing, learning and having fun in a cleaner, safer outdoor environment,” said Andy Glover, community forester for the Forestry Commission.

The site in Salford includes 97-hectares (240-acres) of land which is called the Lower Irwell Valley Improvement Area (LIVIA) and is part of the extensive £59m Newlands regeneration scheme, funded by the North West Development Agency (NWDA), which will rejuvenate 900 hectares of brownfield land sites throughout the North West for public use.

The regeneration of LIVIA, which is also located within the Red Rose Forest, is expected to cost £4.75m and will be funded by the NWDA in partnership with the Forestry Commission.

Steven Broomhead, NWDA chief executive, said: “This major investment will revitalise a key gateway site linking Salford to Manchester, creating a fantastic new asset for the area and will support the aims of the Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company in delivering lasting economic change for Salford.”

When completed, the land will provide the community with access to new areas of woodland, grassland and heathland. The park will also have three kilometres of footpaths, play equipment, outdoor classrooms, sculpture trails and a mountain bike course that serves the whole of the Greater Manchester area.

There will also be the Queensmere Dam, a man-made fishing lake and will be linked with other green corridors such as Prestwich Forest, Clifton Country Park and the developing Irwell City Park Project.

Lord Clark, chair of the The Forestry Commission, says: “As the largest project to be developed under Newlands, LIVIA is a critical site – its regeneration will have a dramatic impact on the local economy and environment, as well as providing the local communities of Salford with much needed green space.”

The LIVIA project is being managed by the Forestry Commission and in consultation with Groundwork and Salford City Council. To support ‘over-arching aims’ additional funding has been secured from the council, Environment Agency, community organisations and Biffaward, a fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts.

Plans for an additional 197-hectares (487-acres) of land to be as part of the LIVIA project are being considered and will require a further £6.25m.