DOZENS of arts and culture organisations in the region are to share hundreds of thousands of pounds in grants.

Some of the more well-known names to benefit from the Arts Council’s catalyst small grants programme include Richmond’s Georgian Theatre and the Ripon Museum Trust, as well as The Witham, in Barnard Castle, a community arts centre.

The Arts Council’s catalyst small grants programme supports small to medium sized organisations to invest in systems, or training and development for staff, volunteers and boards, or to cover the costs of external expertise to increase their fundraising.

But the wider aim is to make a sector, which can rely heavily on public grants, more resilient and sustainable and put it in a better position to attract more private giving.

The £3m fund awards grants worth between £10,000 and £30,000.

Sarah Maxfield, northern director of Arts Council England, said: “I’m delighted that we have been able to fund 46 organisations across the North to strengthen their fundraising capacity to attract more private giving.

“The awards will support a range of activities such as recruiting fundraising consultants, funding new websites to allow for increased online giving and fundraising training for trustees and staff.”

Francis Runacres, executive director of enterprise and innovation at Arts Council England, added: “Arts and culture in this country thrives on a mixed funding model of earned income, private giving and public investment.

“Although private giving will never replace public-funding, it is an important source of funding for arts and cultural organisations, and we are thrilled to be able to fund over one hundred organisations to build and strengthen their fundraising capacity.”

A spokeswoman said: “This is all part of our mission to achieve great art and culture for everyone.”

Those in this region benefitting from the fund include

:: Workplace, a Gateshead based charitable foundation that promotes contemporary art for public benefit (£30,000)

:: ISIS arts, an arts centre in Newcastle (£28,924)

:: TIN arts, a dance studio based in Durham (£28,548)

:: Accessible Arts and Media (£19,644) which runs creative learning activities in York for children and young people

:: Ripon Museum Trust (£29,970)

:: The Witham (£30,000)

:: Georgian Theatre Royal (£28,849).