Exclusive: Yorkshire wins go-ahead for £1m arts festival ahead of Grand Depart

The Arts Council said it was “delighted” to agree a grant for Yorkshire’s proposed Arts and Cultural Festival, which will be tied in with the region’s hosting of the first stages of the Tour de France next summer.

The festival will get under way at the end of March and run for more than three months, up to the day of the Grand Depart in Leeds on July 5, 2014.

The event formed a central part of tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire’s audacious bid to host the first stages of the world’s biggest cycle race, marking the first time such an event has been held in the Tour’s 110-year history.

The regional director for the Arts Council, Cluny Macpherson, said: “I’m delighted we are able to help fund the Arts and Cultural Festival that will celebrate the Tour de France’s visit to Yorkshire.

“It will showcase all that is great about Yorkshire arts and culture as well as providing an opportunity for specially commissioned work. I can’t think of a better way to mark the historic occasion.”

The search is now underway for a festival director to draw up a programme of events and for a further £1m of match-funding.

The chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, Gary Verity, said: “We are delighted to have secured funding to deliver an ambitious programme of events to celebrate the arrival of the Tour de France.

“It will be a fantastic opportunity for the whole county to share in the excitement and interest that will be building in the run-up to the 2014 Tour de France, helping to put Yorkshire on the map for millions of people months before the riders arrive.”