A European grant of about £184,000 will help set up a major history project marking 100 years since the start of the First World War.

Brighton and Hove City Council has been awarded the money from the European Union’s Interreg IVA “2 Seas” programme for a cross-border project supporting culture and heritage.

The “ring-fenced” grant, which cannot be spent on anything else, will be used for a range of exhibitions, events and learning programmes in 2014 called Great War Between the Lines.

With interest in the conflict likely to rise for the centenary, council officials say the project will provide a welcome boost for the city’s tourism industry.

A council spokesman said: “EU grants are an important source of money, so we’ve put huge effort into this.

“This city has a very close connection to the First World War because the Pavilion was used as a military hospital for Indian soldiers.

“So we’ll be looking to stage a project that is both a fitting tribute to that lost generation and something that makes people want to visit the city.”

He added the local authority would work with others in northern France and Belgium on the project and the aim was to attract more visitors to the city from mainland Europe.

The project, which would involve the city and 15 European partners, will explore previously untold stories of the conflict.

In Brighton and Hove there will be special exhibitions at the city’s museums, the Royal Pavilion and Preston Manor.

An outdoor display on the seafront, similar to last year’s wildlife photography exhibition, is also being considered.

Learning programmes for children, families and schools would be set up, while a special online exhibition is also planned.

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