LOCAL businesses have an opportunity to get involved as Charity Champions in an innovative offer from a theatre production company.

JW Productions is staging The Amazing Adventures of Pinocchio as this year’s festive offering at the Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts, formerly the Gardner Arts Centre, on the University of Sussex Campus at Falmer.

Performances take place from December 20 to January 6.

Pinocchio will mark the first time since the Gardner Arts Centre closed that a Christmas panto has been held on the site.

Panto director James Weisz said: “We’d like one or more businesses to become Charity Champions and take a whole performance of Pinocchio.

“They’ll be able to then donate tickets to those who might not otherwise have a chance to see it.

“Businesses can also include their staff and families if they wish to, or get together with like-minded companies and club together to become Charity Champions.

“It’ll be great fun and an unusual way to support the local community.

“They’ll benefit from all the PR and publicity we’re organising between now and Christmas but more importantly know they’ve done a seasonal, special good deed.”

Both The Argus and Latest Magazine/Latest TV are already on board as media partners.

For those businesses that would like to support by taking staff or clients along, there are group tickets available through the box office.

Any businesses interested should contact Jill Woolf at Chimera Communications on 01903 812275 or jill@chimeracomms.co.uk

Pinocchio is the classic tale of Geppetto, a puppet-maker, who one night wishes upon a star.

His most beloved creation, Pinocchio, springs to life and with that, the amazing adventures begin.

All the magic of Christmas and the wonder of the circus collide to create a spectacle to delight all ages.

The show is by the producers of The Wind in The Willows tour, Beauty and the Beast, The Railway Children UK tour, The Jungle Book, and George’s Marvellous Medicine.

It is directed by James Weisz and written by Patric Kearns.

Tickets start from £12.

Preview/family/concession/group and school bookings are available.

The Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts is based at the University of Sussex, Gardner Centre Road, Brighton.

Call 01273 678822 for details.

The box office is open from 10am until 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Go to www.attenboroughcentre.com