THE RETURN of a familiar face to Sixth Sense has ushered in a new era with big ideas, even bigger productions and a drive to reclaim the company's place at the heart of the Swindon community.

Last year Mark Powell, the company's former associate director joined the ranks once more, this time as artistic director. Along with colleagues he embarked on a mission to raise the profile of the troupe ahead of its milestone 30th anniversary next year.

"We are Swindon's best kept secret," says Mark, who first joined the company in 2001.

"We are 30 next year and still funded in part by Swindon Borough Council which is an amazing thing. We have audiences of about 12,000 each year but because our work has been mainly in schools or youth theatre, and often out of the town, the average citizen wouldn't know we exist."

Sixth Sense was founded in 1986 by Benedict Eccles and Julia Dickinson as a professional company putting on topical plays on such subjects as road safety, stranger-danger and even HIV, and performing in schools.

In the early 1990s, the troupe branched out into youth theatre, offering young people the chance to perform.

Top of the agenda for Sixth Sense over the next few months will be broadening its offer to young actors and audiences alike. The Sixth Sense team will also endeavour to spread the word about its work, clearing up any confusion between the professional adult company and its youth theatre arm, which counts 130 members aged between seven and 22.

"Many people are not aware of the two strands," adds Mark. "We have started doing free public performances of the shows we only take to schools so people know we are here and what we do.

"Our aim going forward with the youth theatre is to have two productions a year and showcases to show what they've working on."

Sixth Sense is also hoping to welcome children as young as five to its youth theatre arm in future and offer new opportunities to aspiring writers and directors.

On Tuesday, the company received a £35,000 grant to deliver the arts award, a recognised qualification, to young people between 15 and 24, not in education, employment or training.

More change is brewing for the professional company, which currently does not have a permanent roster of actors for its annual tours.

"We're on the point of transformation in the way that we structure our staff," says Mark. "We would like to have actors we can work with all year round. If there are any professional actors who live near us they should contact us."

The youth theatre membership fee is £59 per term.

To join or find out more about Sixth Sense go to www.sixthsensetheatre.com.