NEARLY £300,000 in touring funds from the Scottish Government will allow four of Scotland's national performing companies to travel and perform across the world.

Scottish Ballet's A Streetcar Named Desire and American Lulu from Scottish Opera, as well as work from the National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra will benefit from the funds from the Inter-national Touring Fund.

The funding comes to £292,000 and will see £60,000 for the NTS towards the cost of a play, Ménage a Trois, and to support the work of a Chinese associate producer for another year.

Up to £95,000 will be given to Scottish Ballet towards the cost of touring A Streetcar Named Desire in the US this year and Highland Fling in Hong Kong in 2014.

A further £85,000 will go to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra's international tours, with performances led by conductor Robin Ticciati taking place in Spain and Austria in 2013 and Japan, Hong Kong and China in February 2014.

Scottish Opera will receive £52,000 towards the cost of taking BabyO and SensoryO to New Zealand and Hong Kong this year, performing American Lulu at the Bregenzer Festspiele in Austria in August and a collaboration with Toronto-based company Tapestry.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "The Inter-national Touring Fund will bring (the companies') acclaimed performances and productions to audiences around the world.

"These tours will further enhance Scotland's global reputation for culture and creativity and they will also strengthen cultural and diplomatic links with countries identified as a priority in our framework for international engagement."

The RSNO has recently returned from a tour of China, and is currently confirming arrangements for tours in 2013 and 2014.

Neil Murray, executive producer of the NTS, said: "The continuing Scottish Government support of the National Theatre of Scotland's international port-folio of projects, through their International Touring Fund, is fundamental to the company's growing reputation as a leading creator and exporter of world-class Scottish theatre. We have benefited enormously from the expertise of our associate Chinese producer in developing relationships with south-east Asian artists and companies."