A culture director is being appointed in Essex to put forward positive images of the county.

The move comes as Essex prepares to attract tourists to a county brimming full of culture after winning cash from the Arts Council.

Those behind the idea hope to bring the county out of London's huge arts and entertainment shadow. Within three years, they hope Essex will have at least two major arts projects and a host of neighbourhood events which will ensure that huge swathes of planned new homes do not become a cultural desert.

Chelmsford, Braintree, Maldon and Uttlesford councils are among those who've contributed a total of £300,000 to kick start the project, with funding matched by Arts Council England.

EDRA, the Essex Regeneration and Development Agency, is now appointing a director who will initially raise extra cash to put forward positive images of the county through arts and cultural tourism.

Deidre McGonagle, EDRA's head of marketing, said: "We hope to have two or three landmark, very high profile projects as well as developing more local projects. It could be a festival, a sculpture, live street theatre or it could be a new gallery.

"We won't have something on the scale of the Angel of the North, but if we have sculpture, perhaps it could be a series of smaller sculptures, shared equitably around the districts." she said.

Historically, said Ms McGonagle, it had been argued that people in Essex could travel to London for culture.

"But people have their own cultural identity and the county needs to reflect that. We want to see cultural facilities embedded in communities - not just how many houses can be built.

"Essex is one of the largest counties in the country and there's not necessarily one culture. Essex's cultural identity may be multi-dimensional and diverse - not a cardboard cut-out of the Essex girl."

National press coverage of the move - while again mentioning the "white stiletto" stereotype - had been reasonably positive, said Ms McGonagle.

"We think it will help us attract a wider range of candidates," she said.

Christopher Kingsley, Chelmsford Borough Council's cabinet member for arts and entertainment, backed the move.

""We tend to undersell ourselves and not value the things we have around. In this borough alone we have the Chelmsford and Essex Museum which is a small museum but quite delightful. We have the cathedral, Hylands Park and Hylands House. We have the Chelmsford Cathedral Festival, the V Festival of course and a whole host of special events which we keep adding to. In 2007 for example, we plan to have a son et lumiere at Hylands House.

Mrs Agnes Bishop, of the Braintree District Arts Council, said that it tried to put on as many arts events as possible in the district. Colne Philharmonic work closely with the London Symphony Orchestra, for example, she said, and had put on a joint performance in Braintree Institute last year.

"But we would see our role as putting on performances so that Braintree people don't have to get on a train and go to London rather than events which attract tourists from London to come here," she said.

Published Monday January 31, 2005

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