Bradford International Festival has been awarded more than £17,000 to encourage artists to open their homes and studios to members of the public.

The cash - from Yorkshire Arts - will help to expand on what was a successful part of the festival last year.

Last year, six artists opened their homes to the public to show their work and six studios also opened their doors.

The scheme proved to be a huge success, with artists selling numerous pieces of work and some receiving commissions for future work.

So far this year, 15 studios and nine homes are involved in the scheme.

The £17,300 grant will be used to provide professional support for the artists and to carry out market research which will result in the development of a database which can be used by local artists when they are organising events in the future.

Open House project manager Mandeep Kandola said last year's Open House scheme had attracted people both from outside Bradford and from the surrounding community. This year, the event would run throughout the Festival, from June 12 to 22, rather just over one weekend.

"The great thing about this project last year was that it did not just attract art lovers, it also attracted neighbours who had no idea they were living next door to artists. They were able to see their work, interact with the artists and purchase pieces of work," she said.

"The whole idea is to counter that certain type of snobbery which says only certain sorts of people go to events like this.

"The artists benefited by having a new audience - the type of person who would not normally visit a studio."

The database being set up would help artists reach a willing audience. A consortium of artists will also be set up to organise future events.

"We got more people involved this year and I think a lot more will get involved next year," said Mandeep.

Artists Jane Fielder and Darren Baker were both involved last year and are taking part again.

"It was brilliant - it was one of the busiest weeks I've had," said Jane, who opened her Bingley home.

"I had people from the same street who I'd never seen before and someone from America. One person wrote in my visitors book that it had taken Bradford International Festival to get them to visit an artist just along the road."

Jane sold several pieces of work and Darren, who runs a studio and gallery in Saltaire, ended up with a number of commissions.