YORK Theatre Royal has been given a major funding blow with news that the level of its yearly grant in the Yorkshire Arts budget will be frozen over the next three years.

The news comes only weeks after the theatre lost out on a round of additional grant aid while its Yorkshire neighbours received thousands in extra cash.

Today's announcement will mean the theatre will get £407,800 from the 2001-2002 Yorkshire Arts budget, a rise of only one per cent on last year, and that figure will remain the same for budgets in 2002-2003 and 2003-2004.

Elizabeth Jones, executive director of the Theatre Royal, said: "One of the most important functions of grant aid is to enable us to keep our ticket prices as low as possible for everyone, so we are naturally disappointed to receive an offer of only one per cent, which is significantly below the rate of inflation.

"We will, of course, continue to make the case for support for the Theatre Royal and its audiences and we are working on a range of projects which we trust Yorkshire Arts will support."

Two weeks ago, York missed out in a round of £2.5 million worth of grants giving extra help for theatres while the Stephen Joseph Theatre, in Scarborough, and Harrogate Theatre won extra help. There was good news for the Impressions Gallery in York, which will get £87,250 during the coming year from Yorkshire Arts.

Updated: 12:10 Tuesday, March 27, 2001