NORTH-EAST brass bands gathered to serenade the National Lottery, which has paid for hundreds of instruments in its ten years.

On Saturday, more than 100 musicians from across the region gave a performance of Robbie Williams' hit Angels at the foot of the Angel of the North, on the outskirts of Gateshead, to start a week of National Lottery celebrations.

The bands taking part including Easington Colliery Band, Spennymoor Town Band and Fishburn Colliery Band.

Since the game's inception, £1,813,877 of Arts Lottery money has helped 39 North brass bands buy instruments.

The North-East has benefited from wider arts funding and the Gateshead Quayside development, home to the Baltic and The Sage Gateshead, is the biggest-funded Lottery arts project outside London.

Of the nearly £2bn of National Lottery funds spent through the Arts Council England, more than £146.5m has been invested in art in the North.

Andrew Dixon, the executive director of the Arts Council England, North-East said: "The National Lottery has enabled us to achieve a huge amount over the past decade. Iconic projects such as the Baltic, The Angel of the North and The Sage Gateshead have helped to change the cultural landscape of the North-East.

"What is less visible, yet just as important, are the hundreds of community and outreach projects which have helped to make arts accessible to people across our region and made a real difference to many people's lives."

Northumbria University research suggests North-East people value the arts more than anywhere else. It also points to a feeling that projects such as the Angel of the North and Gateshead Quayside are helping change the region's image.

Published: 01/11/2004