FIVE years ago Darlington-based CTC Theatre was a small company doing two or three shows a year. Today, CTC tours up to seven shows a year, runs the biggest annual festival of children's theatre in England, and has a number of special projects on the go.

"We don't sell our work to venues, we have a national reputation and get invited to places," says artistic director Paul Harman.

"The company is understood and respected well enough that people book sight unseen. They say, 'what are you doing in one year's time because we'd like you to go and tour in our area'."

So he welcomes InterACT, a new training initiative that aims to keep young theatre talent in the region rather than drifting off to London. Each year, eight to ten trainees will be placed with regional companies, including CTC, to give them hands-on experience of theatre work.

The scheme is being funded by Arts Council England, North East, with additional funding raised by NTC Touring Theatre Company, which is administering the scheme.

"It addresses an issue that affects my company, like every other one in the Northern region - that people go off to train and perform in the South," says Mr Harman.

"It's disgraceful, in my view, that the Tees Valley with a population of 650,000 has only one professional producing company, and that's CTC. We are very small, and can only employ single individuals or tiny groups to be in shows.

"InterACT will be wonderful for us because it will enable us to offer work or involvement in our productions to extra young people who might otherwise go away from the region.

"I will get the opportunity to work with some younger actors in a training capacity, to introduce them to the skills and disciplines of theatre."

He expects potential trainees will have had some preliminary training in the region or be returning graduates.

Mr Harman himself didn't attend drama school but combined his studies at university with theatre work. "I then got two or three very good apprenticeship years with companies. I still think that apprenticeship is vital," he says.

"Over the past 20 years, theatre has become more varied but drama schools tend to train people for where the most work is, in television, and towards the more conventional theatre.

"Most of the companies in the Northern region are not making that kind of theatre any more. In CTC's case, at least half our shows are devised in rehearsal which means the actor has to have the ability to create material as well as interpret it."

* Would-be applicants should first consult www.ntc-touringtheatre.co.uk/InterACT, then Anna Flood at NTC on (01665) 602005 or Gillian Hambleton on (01665) 602586 for more information and application details.