CULTURAL organisations across the region will benefit from £100m in funding over the next four years.

The Arts Council has pledged to invest in everything from museums and galleries, to choirs and festivals, in recognition of the part culture and arts play in regenerating and inspiring communities.

In the North-East, a total of £86,000,488 will be awarded to 46 organisations, with £6,656,588 of this money heading to County Durham and Darlington.

Arts organisations in North-Yorkshire, meanwhile, are set to receive just over £20m from the public body, as part of its plans to spend an additional £170m outside of London between 2018 and 2022.

Middlesbrough Town Hall and The Bowes Museum are among ten organisations in the North-East to be introduced into the Art Council National Portfolio.

This means they will receive investment of £9,966 and just under £1.5m respectively to develop their successful exhibition and events programmes.

The team at Theatre Hullabaloo in Darlington also have cause to celebrate, with £1m heading their way.

Due to open later this year, it is the first dedicated children’s theatre outside of London and its creation was made possible thanks to a £1.3m Arts Council capital grant 18 months ago.

Creative producer Miranda Thain, said: “Theatre Hullabaloo is proud to be part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio and grateful to receive continued funding to bring quality theatre to children and families in our region and beyond.

“The investment reinforces our position as a sector leader and also our shared belief that creativity should be part of everybody’s childhood.”

Other North-East winners include: Beamish Museum near Stanley, which is set to receive just over £1.7m; Teesside University which will be awarded more than £2m for the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art; TIN Arts in Durham City, set to receive £325,812; the ARC in Stockton, which has been awarded a capital grant of £251,090; and The Forge in Stanley, which will receive almost £300,000.

The importance of cultural events and festivals was also recognised, with Stockton International Riverside Festival due to receive £1.2m between 2018 and 2022.

Durham County Council will also gain £1.6m to help stage popular events such as the Durham Literature Festival, Brass: Durham International Festival and Lumiere – now one of Europe’s leading light festivals.

Produced by Artichoke and commissioned by the council, the bi-annual festival attracted 200,000 people to the city in 2015 and boosted the economy by more than £9.6m.

Councillor Ossie Johnson, cabinet member for tourism, culture, leisure and rural issues, said: “We are delighted with this generous award from Arts Council England which we see as an acknowledgement of the great work we are doing across the county to build and develop our festivals programme.”

He added: “Creating world class arts and cultural experiences, which enable some of the least engaged people of our county to get involved, is something we are hugely proud of.”

Over in North Yorkshire, Ripon Museums Trust, will be added to the Art Council National Portfolio. The voluntary led organisation, responsible for the Workhouse Museum and Garden, Courthouse Museum and Prison and Police Museum, will receive £560,000 over the four year period.

Meanwhile, Rural Arts North Yorkshire, based at the Courthouse in Thirsk, will be awarded £302,036.

Angela Holt, Courthouse manager, said: “It is our 25th year and we are very fortunate to have had the Arts Council as our core funder over the years. It has allowed us to develop from a tiny outreach organisation into a well-established and respected arts organisation with our own premises. We are all absolutely delighted to receive another four years of funding.”

Other winners include: York Museums Trust, which will receive £6.2m; York Citizen’s Theatre Trust set to receive £2.3m for York Theatre Royal; The York Early Music Foundation due to gain £1m; and Harrogate Theatre, set to secure £563,636.