Arts Council England has announced a funding injection of more than £65,000 for three organisations in Kirklees.
The largest share, £30,000, goes to Marsden Jazz Festival , while Dark Horse Theatre, based at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield, receives £22,000.
Just over £13,000 has been awarded to Shabang! Inclusive Learning in Slaithwaite .
The cash comes from the Catalyst Small Grants programme to support fundraising efforts by arts organisations and is part of a £1m pot shared out between 46 groups nationwide.
Marsden Jazz Festival, founded 25 years ago, has grown into a weekend event attracting 10,000 or more visitors to the Colne Valley every October. It hosts around 100 gigs and village centre parade.
Festival artistic director Barney Stevenson said: "The grant will help spread the word about what we think is the country’s best jazz festival. We’ve been really grateful for the support Kirklees Council has given to the festival over the years, but the current economic situation means we need to find new private funders to ensure the festival’s future.”
Dark Horse, celebrating its 21st birthday next year, is a national touring theatre company that premieres new work and has an ensemble of learning disabled professional actors.
Its director Lynda Hornsby, says the arts council award will enable the company to employ a part-time administrative assistant to help Dark Horse approach trusts and foundations for funding.
She explained: “It will help us to sustain our work and, in the long term, develop it. In our 21st birthday year we are hoping to be able to develop some really exciting things; we hope to be able to produce another new show and re-tour our last one.”
Shabang! is an educational organisation specialising in working with children with additional needs. Its founders, Russ and Kim Reuter, use drama, music and song in workshops and performances both in schools and at their base The Watershed, which had to be totally refurbished following a devastating fire in 2016. In 2015 Shabang! won a TalkTalk Digital Heroes Award for work in education.
