MORE than £125,000 is being shared out among organisations and individuals among the arts world in North Yorkshire.

The funding, announced through the Arts Council England, is designed to enable them to develop professionally and bring life-changing benefits to communities.

Through National Lottery funding, organisations will be able to work on a range of arts projects, enriching people's lives and bringing together communities in creative activities.

Individual artists will also further their careers by learning skills and techniques, creating and showing their work and reaching new audiences.

The largest grant, £40,000, goes to the M & EM Dance Company, of Leeds, which will tour its show, Words in Motion, around venues across North Yorkshire.

The company will also deliver a programme of dance education work in schools, colleges and dance groups throughout the county.

A total of £29,000 will go to the Ryedale Folk Museum, at Hutton-le-Hole on the North York Moors.

The museum will research, deliver and market a programme of exhibitions and associated events for a gallery opening in November.

It will also buy equipment for the gallery, which will be open all year.

The Laurence Sterne Trust, which maintains Shandy Hall at Coxwold, is to receive a grant of £13,500.

The money will be used to offer bursaries to artists of all art forms who will be invited to work at the hall to develop their ideas and practical work.

Visitors will also be able to the artists' new work.

A grant of £5,000 is paying for photographer Edward Webster to be installed as artist-in-residence at Knaresborough Castle throughout the summer,

He will work with large format cameras and use 19th Century methods to make a photographic portrait of local people and visitors to the castle.

Other grants include £4,000 towards the Mashamshire Arts Festival and £750 for the Pickering Jazz Society to run workshops for young people.

Richmond metal sculptor Michael Kusz receives £4,230 to buy metal working equipment.