PROJECTS across Kirklees have been boosted - thanks to extra cash.
More than £63,000 has been awarded in grants by the Arts Council England.
The money was handed out to arts projects to help bring communities together in creative activities.
Kirklees Council was awarded £32,365 after giving a trial run to a programme of arts workshops at outdoor festivals this summer.
The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, based in Holmfirth, also received £15,090.
The cash will pay for musical pieces to be commissioned which young composers will study at a residential course next April.
The course will help give youngsters an insight into choral writing.
A total of £3,700 was presented to the Huddersfield branch of the Jamaica National Council.
The cash helped fund the Jamaica Independence Festival held in Huddersfield in August.
Alda Flowers, of the group, said: "We were very pleased to get the funding. It helps us put on entertainment and involve more people of all ages."
Huddersfield-based Kreative Response Diverse Arts was granted £5,000 to help record the memories of the town's culturally diverse communities, while musician Hugh Nankivell, who lives in Huddersfield, received £4,640 to complete his opera.
The Marsden Jazz Festival also benefited being awarded £3,000.
Andy Carver, executive director of the Arts Council England, said: "We are pleased to be able to invest in a wide range of artists and arts organisations across the region.
"This opens up opportunities for people and communities to enjoy and become involved in the arts.
"Many of the festivals and open studio events we support help keep rural communities alive, boosting tourism and the local economy."
