THE new director of Stockton's troubled arts venue, the Arc, could earn £35,000 a year - but the official job description for the post has been kept deliberately vague.

The vacancy was advertised this week by agents for Stockton Council and Northern Arts as preparations continued to reopen the controversial Dovecot Street centre next year.

It originally opened in January 1999, at a cost £9.5m, but closed last year, after the Arts Council refused to give it further subsidies. The then operating company, Arc Trust, went into voluntary liquidation.

Critics said the venue failed to attract sufficient audiences because of its obscure programming, odd opening hours, poor marketing, unfashionable location and bad design.

They claimed the public could not obtain information easily, that the 270-seater theatre was too small for professional companies and that noisy bars created the wrong ambience.

Now, in response to a greater emphasis being placed on the venue's capacity for education and economic regeneration, they hoped it would not become a glorified community centre.

A covering letter with the director application form stated: "Some information is deliberately vague because the board of the new company wants the director to play a key role in developing the vision and putting an operational framework in place.

"The company is established in the name of Stockton Arts Centre, but a new name for the venue is yet to be decided. The company will have charitable status."

It stated the company would receive revenue funding from Stockton Council and Northern Arts. Final figures were to be negotiated but the sum would be over £400,000 per year.

The Arts Council for England had guaranteed a further £250,000, to reopen the venue.

The application form emphasised that the director could develop artistic and management policies, and recruit new staff. Activities should assist economic regeneration and develop entrepreneurial spirit.

Theatre, film, music, dance, art and multi-media work should be produced and presented. Training and education was also vital.

The recruitment news came as a consortium of local organisations and business people prepared to present a detailed financial plan for the Arc to Stockton Council.

Its supporters hoped that, by spreading the risk among many investors, the Arc would not again become saddled by debts.

Stockton Council's strategic arts adviser, Reuben Kench, arrived from Northern Arts earlier this year to review all arts activities across the borough. He denied the Arc post was a poisoned chalice.

"This is a great opportunity for somebody, but it certainly is a challenge. The majority of people in Stockton have a view as to what the Arc should have been and will be, and the director will have a key role in listening to those views.

"The director will come in at a time when the whole vision will be set out, but it will still need to be developed.

"It's not quite a blank sheet, but close enough."

Earlier this year, Mr Kench suggested more might need to be done to nurture local talent, rather than importing circus acts and street theatre groups.

If this approach was implemented, it could have implications for the Riverside Festival, which is heavily biased towards surreal, open-air performances.