THE country's only festival of children's theatre is coming to Durham City's Gala Theatre this weekend.

The £14m venue will host Take Off 2002 from Saturday to Wednesday, November 2-6.

Take Off, started nine years ago by Darlington-based CTC Theatre, is England's only annual festival of professional theatre for children and young people.

And the organisers say the event will be the biggest and boldest yet.

A spokesman for Durham City Arts, which is helping stage the event, said: "For five days Durham's Gala Theatre, along with local schools, colleges and community centres in and around the city, will be filled with young people and professional delegates, from around the world, enjoying a wide a variety of performances, workshops and seminars.

"Most theatre companies performing at Take Off 2002 are small to medium-size producing companies, who commission and devise work that is intimate and innovative.

"They will bring their new productions to the festival, providing an ideal opportunity for theatre professionals, education practitioners, arts administrators and venue bookers to see the shows, absorb new ideas and discuss issues.

"Many of the daytime performances are solely intended for schools parties but others are open to the public.''

Three family shows will be performed on Saturday for the public at community centres in Bearpark, Brandon and Bowburn - The Wonky Donkey, by Blunderbus, Moon Magic, by Magic Carpet, and Big Goldilocks and the Three Bears Plus, by Booster Cushion.

At Durham Sixth Form College on the Monday, Sheffield Theatres will stage Jago's Box, about children in wartime. The Gala Theatre will host a range of shows including Palace in the Greenwood, a new opera for seven to nine-year-olds created by CTC Theatre and Durham University music students.

The festival programme is available from Durham City Arts, Byland Lodge, Hawthorn Terrace, Durham, (0191) 301 8245. Tickets are available from the venues.