ARTS lovers will raise the curtain on a fringe festival for Dorchester after they scooped Lottery cash.

Dorchester Arts was today awarded £9,400 from the Big Lottery Fund for the Moving On extravaganza.

It was one of several community groups to win cash – including Weymouth Community Volunteers and the Waterside Weymouth Community Forum.

The event, which will form part of the Dorchester Festival in May, will include a procession, street entertainment, bands, performers and theatre.

Kathie Prince, who is the Dorchester Arts community outreach worker manager, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Dorchester Arts has been awarded £9,400 to fund this year’s Moving On fringe festival. This event has at its core the wellbeing of our community and thanks to the support our project will reach approximately 12,000 local people including many members of hard to reach groups.”

The Moving On fringe festival is taking place on the Saturday of the four-day, African-themed Dorchester Festival from May 28 to 31.

The fringe festival will feature mostly local performers – including many in a ‘buskers’ feast’ in the town centre.

Kathie said: “We will be filling the town with local performers.

“There will be a massive procession.

“I am going to set up a global street band open to all to join, and there will be street theatre.”

Weymouth Community Volunteers scooped £9,831 and the Waterside Weymouth Community Forum was awarded £5,755.

Stickland Rainbows received £2,456 and Beam-inster Community Learning Centre got £10,000.

Yoruba Contemporary Arts Trust in Sherborne was awarded £10,000.

Weymouth Community Vol-unteers, which is based in the Guildhall annex in the town centre, will use the money for 14 new computers and two new printers as well as latest software.

Manager Sue Follan said: “We are absolutely delighted.

“We hope to completely upgrade our ICT suite.

“It will allow our service users to benefit from the most up to date equipment and software to enable them to find work.”

She added: “We got all of the money we asked for.

“Our thanks go to the Lottery. Every penny will be used wisely.”