Newcastle's Discovery Museum will benefit from extra funding

The funding is part of a £100m project, Renaissance, set up to improve regional museums and attract more visitors.

Those set to benefit include Newcastle's Discovery Museum, the Beamish and Bowes museums in County Durham, and museums in Hartlepool.

The new funding comes on top of £3.4m already allocated to museums in the region as part of Renaissance.

'World-class'

This cash has been used to encourage schoolchildren to take part in activities organised by museums and get them through the doors.

Mark Wood, chairman of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, said: "England has some of the finest regional museums in the world, and the North East includes some outstanding examples.

With additional funding they can further increase their appeal and give people access to world-class culture, right on their doorstep."

The new funding will be used to improve collections and displays and improve services for schools.