A community arts organisation is expanding its projects and staff, five years after being born.

Artworks has moved from its base at the Thornbury Centre on Leeds Old Road in Bradford to a converted mill at Mercury Quays, Ashley Lane, Shipley.

The organisation was formed in 1998 and aims to use creativity to help social regeneration.

The group runs a wide variety of community arts courses and schemes, firstly in the Newlands area of the city, but recently throughout the district.

Artworks administrations manager Susan Archbold said the move would enable them to expand.

"We needed more space to be able to fit in more staff and deliver more projects," she said.

The organisation currently has four workers and is likely to take on another four over the next few months.

The group has also secured funding to provide a major new project for artists.

Miss Archbold said the project, called Rise, aimed to make artists more aware of community issues.

Staff will be recruited in April and the scheme will start a few months later.

Miss Archbold said the organisation was looking forward to running projects more widely across the district.

Revival, one of its biggest schemes so far, saw ten people give a council house a complete makeover and learn about decorating skills in the process.

"Revival was a major highlight because it got such a massive response," Miss Archbold said.

And she said the scheme could be replicated at houses on estates all over the city.

Another success was Speakout, an event which brought together homeless people. Four participants have since got funding to make a film about what it is like being homeless and a second Speakout event, attended by 80 people, has also been held.

Other schemes include summer and half-term activities for young people, working with DJs, dancers and graffiti artists.

Miss Archbold said the community had supported the ventures wholeheartedly.

"Everything that we do seems to get a really enthusiastic response," she said.

Artworks began in 1998 at the Thornbury Centre with funding from sources including the European Regional Development Fund and Single Regeneration Budget.

In 2001 it became independent and changed its remit from covering only Newlands to the Bradford district.

Miss Archbold said the new offices would serve as an administrative base and a venue for board meetings.