TWO events exploring the impact of the Internet on people's lives are being staged next week.

Teesside University has invited academics, business people and community representatives to its third major conference, from next Wednesday to Friday.

The Creative and Connected conference is aimed at helping local people devise effective websites. Its speakers will include Internet expert Howard Reingold, from the US.

Brian Loader, co-director of the university's community informatics research and applications unit, said: "As access to the Internet becomes more widely available through community and other groups, people will only be motivated to use these facilities if the content is interesting and relevant to their needs.

"New technology plays a big part in economic and community regeneration and the conference is about ensuring that the content is relevant."

The unit works with more than 200 groups in County Durham and the Tees Valley, including teenagers involved in the North Ormesby digital arts project to chronicle older people's memories.

Mr Loader said: "We are working with the community, empowering people, training them and getting them engaged by providing interesting activities."

Linking with the conference will be a Digital Fringe Festival, at locations around the campus, next Wednesday and Thursday.

A major part will be the presence in the student car park of The Big M, a futuristic mobile building operated by Isis Arts.

Visitors will be able to make digital images of themselves, do voice-overs, play computer games, design websites and have their activities recorded on a compact disc.

There will also be bands playing in the Student Union car park, from 10.30am to 6.30pm on both days.