A DEAL to secure the future of the Ryedale Festival is set to be struck by councillors.

Officers at Ryedale District Council have recommended pledging £25,000 a year to the festival for the next three years.

It is hoped that the deal will guarantee the future of the festival and give the council more of a say over its content.

Councillors will vote on the funding deal at a meeting of the Community Services and Licensing Committee on Thursday.

If they approve the officers' recommendation, there will be a three-way meeting between Cultural Services, the Ryedale Festival and Arts Council Yorkshire in November to decide what next year's festival should include.

But councillors could decide to ignore the recommendation and reduce funding of the festival. The leftover money would be given to other organisations, which more directly meet the council's aims and priorities.

The council particularly wants to increase youth involvement in the three-week Ryedale Festival, which takes place throughout the area in July. It is keen to improve access to cultural events and venues.

The Ryedale Festival has a long history of receiving funding from the council. A three-year funding agreement decided in 2000 ran out this year.

Community project officer, Jim Poynton, said: "As the Ryedale Festival has received the largest award to a single organisation on a three-year funding agreement, we want to ensure that activities delivered by the festival meet our community priorities."

This year's festival was hailed as one of the best ever, and for giving the district a big economic and cultural boost.

Attracting visitors from as far afield as Hong Kong, Japan and the United States, concerts and performances took place in stately homes, including Castle Howard and Hovingham Hall, as well as churches, schools and village halls.

Next year's festival, which is likely to have a Czech theme, is to be held from July 16 to August 1.

Updated: 08:54 Saturday, September 27, 2003