COUNCIL chiefs in Darlington are seeking someone to train for a management career in the arts.

The borough council is one of only nine local authorities in the country to receive an Arts Council Fellowship.

The fellowship will provide a bursary of £13,000 tax-free and will fund a trainee from an ethnic minority group in with the town.

The student will work as a trainee programmer for the performing arts and visual arts with the council.

The Arts Council has identified that people from ethnic minorities are under represented in arts management across the UK and wants to encourage more people into the arts.

Councillor Eleanor Lister, the council's cabinet member for leisure services, said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for someone hoping to pursue a career in arts management. Here in Darlington we have such a broad range of visual and performing arts that we can provide an ideal training ground."

The training course will run for a year. The post is expected to be advertised soon and the successful candidate, who will be selected by the Arts Council and Darlington Council, is expected to start work in January.

Published: 08/10/2003