THE region's museums are to benefit from a £10.6m cash boost.
The funding is part of a £100m package earmarked countrywide by Renaissance, a national scheme set up to transform England's regional museums.
Money granted to the North-East will be spent over the next three years and will mostly go to what are known as the Regional Museums Hub, which are Beamish North of England Open Air Museum, Bowes Museum, Hartlepool Museums and Tyne and Wear Museums.
This new funding comes on top of the £3.4m already allocated to museums in the area through the scheme.
So far money spent through Renaissance, a Government initiative set up in 2000, has helped to boost visitor levels, which have soared, and meant that attractions have been able to encourage more activities aimed at schoolchildren in the area.
Bill Griffiths, manager of the Regional Museums Hub, welcomed the funding saying it would help improve services further at each of the attractions.
He said: "This new funding is fantastic news. It will help us continue to improve museum collections and displays, attract new visitors and deliver even better services to schools throughout the region."
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