LEADING figures from across the region will meet today to discuss the future of the arts and culture in the light of the current financial climate.

The meeting, at Darlington Arts Centre, has been organised by the Association of North-East Councils and Arts Council England.

It will bring together public, private and voluntary sector leaders from the region to discuss the impact the economic climate may have on arts and culture.

They will also discuss how partnerships and links can be created to maximise investment and ways in which new resources can be attracted to the North-East. The event will also aim to provide a wider understanding of Government policy, including the implications of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

The meeting will be chaired by Paul Callaghan, chairman of development agency One North East and the Live Theatre, and speakers will include George Garlick, chief executive of Durham County Council, and Richard Alty, director of place at Darlington Borough Council.

Alison Clark-Jenkins, regional director at Arts Council England, will provide a North-East perspective, with a national outlook being put by Richard Russell, director of strategic partnerships.

Ms Clark-Jenkins said: “It is significant that we meet in Darlington, where proposed arts cuts are being reviewed with a number of new ways of working being explored.”