YORK'S museums, galleries and theatres have been awarded millions of pounds by Arts Council England.

York Museums Trust, which runs the Yorkshire Museum and Museum Gardens, York Art Gallery, the Castle Museum and York St Mary’s, will get a three year package of support worth £3.7 million for the period 2023-2026.

Trust chair James Grierson said the award, which works out at £1,252,000 per annum, was 'excellent news' and reflected confidence that the Arts Council had placed in the trust's collections and valuable work.

"Well over a million people visit and enjoy our venues and gardens each year," he said.

"This is our city’s cultural heritage which is shared by everyone and is central to the warm welcome that York delivers to its many visitors.

"There are challenges within the current cost of living context which may also impact on what and how the Trust is able to deliver, but everyone is committed to supporting the delivery of the Arts Council England’s Let’s Create Strategy for creativity and culture."

York Citizens' Theatre Trust, the governing body for York Theatre Royal, also receives £598,059 per year for the three years, Pilot Theatre Ltd gets £335,787 per annum, the York Early Music Foundation receives £275,444 per annum and Next Door But One gets £80,000 pa. Explore York Libraries and Archives Mutual Limited is another beneficiary, receiving £220,000 pa.

Cllr Darryl Smalley, LibDem executive member for culture, leisure and communities at City of York Council, said the arts council funding was a 'critical lifeline for cultural and heritage sectors in York, which are facing an extremely uncertain and difficult time.'

He said the recovery from the pandemic's impacts was far from over, and the energy hike and cost-of-living crisis meant it was harder to pay bills and earn income from ticket sales. 

"These are the institutions that give us pride and are the life-blood of our communities, they make York the wonderful city it is to live, work and visit," he said.

"I’m relieved to see that this vital support has been given to the institutions we know and love locally. The fact Arts Council England has significantly increased its investment in York, now totalling £2.76m for local NPOs, is a vote of confidence in York’s thriving cultural scene. 

“My congratulations goes to these organisations for the months of work getting to this point has taken.

Away from York, the Pickering-based North Yorkshire Moors Railway has been awarded £250,000 a year to help the heritage charity continue its vital work in conservation, preservation, education and engaging communities.

The funding will be used to try to restore visitor numbers to pre-COVID levels, improve on-station and on-train interpretation, expand railway dining services, improve the educational offer to school groups and remove all barriers to travel for those with specific needs.