A NEWLY-formed arts agency has been granted £18,000.

Whitby Community Cultural Arts is organising arts activities which employ artists to work with local groups.

Yorkshire Arts has given it money to provide dance workshops, lantern making classes, performances, exhibitions, poetry workshops and a display of banners throughout the town.

Organisation leader Wynne Jones said: "The project will bring new initiative and arts activities to Whitby.

"The wide variety of events throughout the year all link together and feed into the town play taking place in September, and the Festival of Light at Christmas.

"It will give all local people the chance to take part and there will be more attractions for visitors".

Meanwhile, City of York Council is to receive £20,000 for its third annual digital arts festival, Sightsonic, to be held from October 18 to 20.

The festival is coordinated by commercial and cultural organisations and will feature high-quality visual and audio content.

Council spokesman Peter Boardman said it would highlight the region's strengths in the digital world.

Organisation Blaize is to receive £10,800 to produce and tour a new play in rural areas of North Yorkshire.

The play addresses the impact of foot-and-mouth disease on rural communities, said artistic director Mike Bettison.

He said: "The award will help us to undertake the tour in many rural locations.

"Blaize is committed to providing theatre for rural communities and this project involves working with the farming and tourist industries.

"We are grateful for the opportunity to respond creatively to the crisis and we hope it will contribute to a sense of renewal in areas hit by the outbreak."