Wiltshire Music Centre has received a £371,065 fund for upgrades and improvements.

The fund was the largest award to be made in the South West and will be used to upgrade technical equipment in the auditorium to allow a wider variety of artists to perform live there.

Clare Jack, executive director of Wiltshire Music Centre, said: “Everyone here is delighted. We have received the full amount of our application, which is a great endorsement of our work and future plans by Arts Council England.”

The money will enable the centre to stream opera, ballet and live music and to transmit workshops and master classes to schools as part of their work with the Wiltshire Music Hub.

It will also be used to improve the foyer, upgrade external lighting and signs and extend office spaces.

Work will start shortly and be completed during 2013.

“The improvements to the auditorium will make the quality of sound as good for folk, jazz and world music as it is for classical concerts, as well as giving us the ability to record and transmit activities for our education work,” she added.

The fund was awarded by Arts Council England under its small capital programme, which aims to support organisations to become more sustainable through the consolidation and improvement of buildings and equipment.

Arts Council England’s director for the south west, Phil Gibbyd, said: “We are delighted to be awarding this grant.

“The centre is developing its business resilience for the future and because of the improvements, audiences will have the opportunity to see and experience exciting new work in a top- quality venue”

This funding comes after the centre received a £120,000 grant in July 2012 to secure its long-term future.

The centre has had a successful few weeks after celebrating its 15th anniversary, receiving a visit from the Duke of Kent, and hosting the popular Bradford Roots Acoustic Music Festival.