THE future of a rural arts project has been secured by three grants.

Bainside Arts has been awarded more than £35,000 to continue running art and craft courses from its studios in Bainbridge, Wensleydale.

The community company and charity was formed in 2001 to encourage arts in the Dales and boost the rural economy in the wake of the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Bainside administrator Angela Le Grice said: "Back in 2001, it looked like all the rural business, from farmers to tourist attractions, were going down the tube.

"We did some research and found a small but steady core of potential visitors who would like to do art and craft activities.

"We then heard from accommodation providers who wished there was some way to bring visitors to the Dales all year round.

"Putting these ingredients together and adding the considerable number of local practising painters, craftsmen and other creative people, we came up with the idea of Bainside Arts."

The project was founded by local Quakers. Pilot courses were first held in 2003 in the Friends' Meeting House, in Bainbridge.

The project moved into a nearby converted barn in April last year.

The additional funding means the number of courses have been greatly extended for this year.

During the coming months there are courses in painting, drawing, printmaking, poetry, creative writing, fabric, stitching, rug making and gardening.

The project encourages art in the Dales by employing local artists as tutors.

A total of £24,100 was awarded to Bainside from the Arts Council for general costs.

Quakers do not believe in gambling, and so none of the money came from the National Lottery.

A further £11,100 came from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority's sustainable development fund towards landscaping the grounds for an outdoor work area and a contribution towards marketing costs.

North Yorkshire County Council gave £2,000 for computers and printing equipment to produce posters to advertise the courses.

The trustees hope Bainside Arts can be self-funding by 2008