CREATIVE young people in the North-East are to benefit from a new Government award.

Arts Minister Estelle Morris has launched the Young People's Arts Award (YPAA) with 15 pilot projects around the country, including in Durham, Sunderland and Northumberland.

The scheme, which will go nationwide in autumn next year if successful, is being run by the Arts Council England with £200,000 from the Department of Culture.

The pilot projects will allow hundreds of youngsters aged 14 to 19 to take part in the awards.

National community education agency ContinYou will work with youth choirs at secondary schools in Hartlepool, while Creative Partnerships Durham and Sunderland will target five schools in urban and rural areas, as well as the local youth service, Theatre Cap-a-Pie, Newcastle's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and the Bowes Museum, in County Durham.

Ms Morris said: "There's a deep pool of creative talent to be found among young people. The Young People's Arts Award celebrates and recognises this."