Thousands of naked volunteers will turn Newcastle into Nudecastle in the name of art, it was confirmed today.

American artist Spencer Tunick has made headlines around the world for his "installations" featuring hordes of naked people.

Having worked in many countries, including the United States, where he has been arrested several times, he has agreed to do his first major UK project on Tyneside.

Its success depends on thousands volunteering to participate in a Great North Strip just after dawn on Sunday, July 17.

The nude throng will feature in photographs taken by the artist which will be shown next January at Baltic, Gateshead's centre for contemporary art, which commissioned the project.

Tunick said: "I think the spirit of Newcastle and Gateshead will rise to the occasion."

Tim Bartlett, chief executive of the Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, said: "This will be a major international event. It is really going to help put us on the map culturally.

"Spencer Tunick is extremely well known and this is why we are so proud.

Apart from a few small events in London, we are the first UK location to host one of his major installations."

Mr Bartlett said the event could generate £2m in visitor expenditure on the day alone, with further benefits from images of Newcastle Gateshead appearing on Spencer Tunick's website and in other media.

Predicting a great response from people in the North-East, he said the photographs would be seen by millions. "It is going to give tremendous exposure to the transformation of the quayside areas, which will provide a spectacular backdrop."

Elisabetta Fabrizi, assistant curator at Baltic, has agreed to help Spencer Tunick manage the event.

She said:. "What Spencer does is find an urban landscape of straight lines and perpendiculars and completely change it by using the naked human body. The majority of his shots are from a long distance away so the bodies become abstract."

Elisabetta said: "I guess there is some misunderstanding of his work because it does tend to attract a lot of coverage in the wrong places. We believe his work is valuable and worth looking at from a serious perspective."