The BBC Academy and Arts Council England have joined forces to run a series of master classes and workshops for arts organisations interested in developing their digital skills.

The joint initiative will see the BBC Academy working with the Arts Council to help arts organisations gain the production skills they need to create and distribute high quality arts content for digital platforms including online, mobile and internet protocol television.

Classes will cover skills including commissioning and producing film and web content, archiving and rights issues, digital marketing and communications, and internet TV.

The agreement will also provide opportunities for sharing expertise, knowledge, research and ideas.

Liz Forgan, Arts Council chair, announced the initiative at the Media Festival Arts event in London today.

She said: "Our partnership with the BBC is about working together to maximise the public value of the arts. It's about pooling our expertise to help create the arts leaders of the future and to help arts organisations broaden their skills.

"This joint initiative will enable arts organisations to produce high quality digital arts content that will reach new audiences in new ways, to prolong the life and extend the reach of their exciting, excellent art."

Mark Thompson, BBC's director general, added: "Arts organisations are increasingly using digital media to create and distribute content to the public that otherwise wouldn't be seen.

"The partnership with the Arts Council England will mean the BBC shares its knowledge, skills and expertise in content production bringing to life our digital public space."