YORK’S cultural scene is set to get a major financial boost over the next four years as part of the new national policy to redistribute funding from major national organisations and to the regions.

Six organisations within the city will see increased grants at the expense of national companies such as the Royal Opera House, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.

The Arts Council has upped its support for York Museums Trust by more than £1,000,000 over the next four years.

As well as helping to develop Castle Museum and run Yorkshire and Castle Museums and York Art Gallery, the £6,275,928 total grant from 2018 to 2022 will be spent on the Trust’s work advising and giving expertise to other museums in the region.

Reyahn King, chief executive of York Museums Trust, said: “We are delighted that the Arts Council has backed our vision for the Trust for the next four years.

“The guarantee of £1.23 million a year will allow the Trust to continue to effectively plan and deliver a wide range of high profile exhibitions events and activities designed to engage with larger and more diverse audiences.”

It is the second good financial news for the Trust this month.

Three weeks ago, it won a landmark legal victory at the end of a ten-year court battle that will see its business rates slashed.

Just across Exhibition Square from York Art Gallery, the Theatre Royal will see its grant go up by £500,000 to £2,349,016 over the four years to 2022.

Its resident touring company, Pilot Theatre, will see a £400,000 increase over the same period to £1,318,880.

Theatre Royal chief executive Liz Wilson said: ‘It is just over a year since we reopened our doors following our major multi-million pound transformation, and we have just celebrated one of the most memorable years to date. This award allows us to make sure the next four years will be just as inspiring.”

Pilot Theatre plans to use its grant to undertake more projects with young people in York, to work more with communities that have difficulty accessing the arts and to reinvigorate its national tour programme.

The other two York-based organisations to benefit are the National Rural Touring Network and J Night jazz organisation, both of Sycamore Terrace, off Bootham.