FIRST STEPS

County Durham has the chance to raise its own profile through a cultural programme with Culture10, starting this year and continuing until 2010.

The county of Durham is recognised as an essential contributor to the North East hotbed of innovation and creative activity. There has probably never been a better time to promote a new and unique profile for County Durham, harnessing the creativity of its local people and communities.

To make the most of this opportunity, we are keen to explore the possibilities with the people who make things happen in the county.

Together, we need to assess the cultural assets in the county and see where new partnerships and collaborations might inspire new projects. It's a wide and diverse field, including well-established visitor attractions, kite and banner festivals, and music and drama events of every shape and size. The county includes a World Heritage Site, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Durham Heritage Coast. It is also home to visual artists, writers, performers and musicians of every genre, many of whom celebrate the county and its peoples in their work.