THE curtain goes up this weekend on the first festival celebrating the arts and culture of Weardale.

For two weeks from Friday, events will be staged in nearly every village in the dale.

The aim of the event, organised by the Weardale Society, is to demonstrate to residents and visitors that the dale has something to offer everyone.

"A lot of the arts and history of Weardale have been largely untapped," said society secretary June Crosby.

"We aim to show, through exhibitions, concerts and other events, how much is happening here in the dale."

If successful, it is hoped to make the festival an annual event.

The activities begin on Friday with a guided walk at Northumbria Water's Burnhope reservoir, a concert by the Northern Sinfonia Ensemble at Stanhope Methodist Church, and the staging of Alan Ayckbourn's Gosforth's Fete, at the Town Hall.

Other highlights of the two-week festival, which ends on Sunday, September 5, include an exhibition of christening robes and quilts in St John's Chapel Church, and the opening of a contemporary arts and photographic exhibition in St Thomas's Church Hall on Saturday.

For details about the rest of the festival programme, contact the Tourist Information Centre in the Durham Dales Centre, Stanhope, on (01388) 527650.