A Stratford venue which prides itself on entertaining children and their families has been awarded ‘Best Family Venue’ for the 2013 Family Arts Festival.

Stratford Circus won the audience voted award with five other venues, from across more than 900 other participating organisations.

Director Clare Connor accepted the award on behalf of Stratford Circus at the Big Draw Festival accompanied by Newham Councillor Ian Corbett and Clive Lyttle from Arts Council England.

She said: “This awards means so much to Stratford Circus; we pride ourselves on providing a fun and entertaining environment for every child and their family who visits us”,

Held every year in October, the Family Arts Festival incorporates over 1,900 events and entertains tens of thousands of families across the UK. Participating audiences were invited to rate their experience and vote across three categories including Best Overall Family Welcome,

Best Family Venue and Best Family Event/Activity.

Councillor Ian Corbett, Executive Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said: “We are extremely proud that Stratford Circus has been recognised nationally for its high quality offer.

“We look forward to building on our strong partnership with this award winning venue and supporting them to provide residents with world-class theatre on their doorstep,”

The Family Arts Festival is part of the Family Arts Campaign, funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. The Festival, as part of the Campaign aims to develop the range of arts events and activities available to families - the quality as well as the overall experience.