FIVE North Yorkshire arts festivals are set to benefit from a £60,000 Lottery handout.

Twelve artists and arts organisations in the county will share the money, awarded by the Arts Council England.

Recipients include the Ryedale Festival, Scarborough Jazz Festival, York Carnival, Grassington Festival and Whitby Musicport.

Whitby Musicport organisers have received £16,250 to continue holding the annual world music festival and concert programme.

Jim McLaughlin, the festival's artistic director, said: "The event brings an international audience to a little seaside town. The Arts Council England has always been very supportive of what we do, and we are very grateful for this money."

A grant of £12,030 will be used to stage a community opera as part of the Ryedale Festival.

The production will feature a cast and crew of 100 singers, actors, musicians, dancers and visual artists from across the district.

Scarborough Jazz Festival organisers received £11,260 to produce an exhibition and musical piece based on the history of British jazz.

Organiser Mike McCarthy said: "The money will allow us to make the festival as ground-breaking, unique and exciting as possible."

For York Carnival, £4,000 will pay for a series of rehearsals and workshops for schoolchildren and residents.

Andy Carver, executive director of Arts Council England, Yorkshire, said: "These awards will help artists develop their work and careers and will help build long-term stability for arts organisations.

"This makes a positive contribution to communities across the region, creating more opportunities for people to experience and take part in the arts.

"In particular, in North Yorkshire the number of festivals supported in this round will bring high-quality arts activities to people in rural communities and provide a major boost for tourism."

The other North Yorkshire artists and groups to receive money are: Harrogate photojournalist Lynne Coates, £5,000; Middleham visual artist and photographer Laurence Cutting, £3,471; Scarborough community artist Sara Adams, £90; Robin Hood's Bay visual artist Heather Gatt, £2,000; Selby painter Carol Holleran, £4,500; York visual artist Graham Martin, £4,360; the York-based Art and About project, £3,777; Grassington Festival, £5,000.