Organisers of Bradford International Festival were today celebrating a huge cash injection from Europe to boost next year's festival and bring top international entertainment to the city.

Festival Director Neil Butler, organiser of Insitu - a network of six festival organisers from across Europe - said the group had been awarded £700,000 to commission outdoor theatre.

The announcement follows 11 days of multi-cultural street theatre and music at Bradford International Festival and Mr Butler welcomed it as a major boost for future years.

Alison Andrews, performing arts officer for the Arts Council, said: "This is a major endorsement of Bradford International Festival's artistic policy and will have long-term benefits for artistes across the region."

The first company to be commissioned by Insitu is Glasgow-based Mischief Las Bas. It will enable the group to develop its ground-breaking show Painful Creatures first presented by UZ Events at Scotland's National Street Festival Big in Falkirk.

The show will be developed and presented at Falkirk and Bradford International Festival next year before it tours to France, Austria and Spain.

Mischief takes the form of a Woodland Walk with visitors being greeted by rough "Carnie Guides" who shepherd the audience through the "un-fairground" route.

The Insitu fund will enable the work to develop into a major touring show.

Mr Butler added: "Bradford will be the first city in this country to benefit from the European funding and every year we will be able to select at least three companies across Europe to commission a new piece of work. That means Bradford will host major new pieces of work involving international artistes."