A new scheme has been launched to encourage young journalists to write about regional museums.

The Renaissance Student Journalism Network is a unique partnership between student journalists, museum staff, the 24 Hour Museum and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.

The network will provide ten student journalists across the country with £500 bursaries to work one day a week for six months generating stories and features about regional museums.

Their stories will be published on the 24 Hour Museum website, as well as on participating museums' websites and in newsletters, bulletins and reports.

The £20,000 project is being funded under Renaissance, MLA's groundbreaking programme to transform England's regional museums. It builds on the success of 24 Hour Museum's City Heritage Guides and is part of MLA's strategy to help regional museums reach a wider audience.

Awards have already been made to students in Brighton and Birmingham.

Brighton student Emily Sands, from Ipswich, will cover part of the South East Hub region and Roslyn Tappenden is based at BMAG in Birmingham and covers the West Midlands Hub region.

Students are now being chosen in Bristol, Norwich, Manchester and London and other regions will follow in early February.