Oldham is one of 60 council areas that will share an initial £20.7 million from the government's Youth Matters Fund this year, as part of a £450 million programme aimed at young people.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport named Oldham alongside Middlesbrough and coastal towns such as Skegness and King's Lynn when setting out how the money is meant to address the imbalance in access to youth services. The government said the funding is intended to ensure a young person's opportunities are not determined by where they live or their background.

The 60 areas were chosen using a formula based on levels of deprivation and low access to social and community infrastructure, how satisfied young people are with local activities and services, and the proportion of 16-17 year olds not in education, employment or training. The wider fund opens for applications in early 2027 to councils and organisations in the same 60 areas.

The announcement came as Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy launched National Theatre Nationwide, a four-year partnership backed by up to £15 million from the Every Child Can programme. The National Theatre will work with 12 partners in every English region, including the Lowry in Salford, to reach more than 100,000 young people.

Under the plans, theatres will offer thousands of subsidised £10 tickets, and productions designed for young audiences will tour to 400 schools. Young people will be able to try acting, directing, playwriting and backstage roles, with training and workshops intended to open up careers in the creative industries. A Skills Roadshow will take opportunities to areas without theatres, and a new Nationwide Youth Council will give young people a say in how the programme is designed.

The government also announced an additional £106 million from the Dormant Assets Scheme for Every Child Can, bringing its total funding to £238.5 million, with the remaining £173 million opening to organisations across England in 2027.

Nandy said: "I am tired of being told that not everybody can or should have access to the best of what this country has to offer. Arts and culture gives the chance to live a richer, larger life and that chance should be afforded to every young person."

She added that experiencing theatre "shouldn't be restricted to only those who can afford it or who were born in the right postcode".

Julia Fawcett, chief executive of the Lowry in Salford, said the venue was proud to be part of the programme, building on a partnership "that has meant so much to Lowry and our audiences over many years". She said: "Nationwide is about bringing the very best of theatre to more people, but also about opening doors for young people, nurturing talent and creating opportunities that can change lives."

The government said the plans sit alongside other measures, including funding for the delivery and recruitment of 1,000 new youth workers and trusted adults. Ministers have asked the National Lottery Community Fund to scrutinise and develop the National Theatre's plans, and the funding and delivery will depend on the outcome of that process.