A NEW exhibition at a Newton Aycliffe school has been inspired by the Orient.

The exhibition at Greenfield Community and Arts Centre is by pupils of Spennymoor School.

The display is the culmination of work by year ten and 11 pupils as part of their GCSE art and design course.

It follows a visit by students to Durham University's Oriental Museum, which has links with the school.

The exhibition is in two parts. The first is a selection of work from the Shedding Light assignment commissioned by Teikyo University of Japan for its student festival in 2001, exploring links between ancient and contemporary Japanese culture.

The second is a collection of pieces from an assignment titled Idols and Ancestors, for an exhibition in conjunction with Cleveland College of Art's textiles department..