AN EXHIBITION that focuses on the costume, art and archaeology of York’s museums and galleries has won £200,000 in funding from the Government.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Wolfson Foundation’s £200,000 grant will see York Castle Museum open its Shaping the Body display in the spring of 2016.

The collection will come from across York Museums Trust to reveal the many factors that have an impact on body shape across the centuries; from economic circumstances and cultural ideas to technological changes, fashion and diet. Shaping the Body will replace the museum’s 15-year-old Cradle to Grave exhibition in the Kitchen Gallery and Barn Gallery.

Ali Bodley, senior curator of history and archaeology at York Museums Trust, said: “The space itself is already fantastic, but we will be giving it a refurbishment; cleaning and repairing cases to re-use and utilising the space we already have.

“This project has already had an extremely positive response and we are very much looking forward to creating a thought-provoking exhibition that will really engage and excite visitors to York.”

Sajid Javid, culture secretary, said: “The Government is committed to supporting the arts and making sure our marvelous museums and inspiring galleries continue to be accessible to all.”