LANCASTER University is celebrating its 50th year and its Live at LICA entertainments set-up has plenty of high quality, contemporary theatre, dance, music and visual art in its spring season line-up.

One of the most important venues in the UK for contemporary performance, Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts' opening week of the season includes a special 50th anniversary concert tonight (Thursday, 7.30pm) given by the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra celebrating the life of one of the greatest showmen of all time, Jack Hylton.

Bolton-born Jack was a celebrated bandleader in the 1920/30s achieving worldwide success as leader of his own dance band, known as Jack Hylton and his Orchestra and in the 1950s a West End producer and talent spotter - including Shirley Bassey and Morecambe and Wise. Following his death in 1965, the brightest stars in show business turned out for a gala performance, raising enough funds to build the Hylton Music Rooms at Lancaster University.

The evening also celebrates Hylton’s life in a pre-concert talk with Hylton Junior, a special exhibition in the Peter Scott Gallery, and the book launch of the first ever biography of Hylton’s life written by Lancaster Alumni and conductor for the evening, Pete Faint.

Tickets for the university's Great Hall concert are available from the Live at LICA box office on 01524-594151 or via www.liveatlica.org.