WHEN the going gets tough, the tough get involved in drawing up a charter to make things better.

That was the response anyway by young people in the region, against a generally gloomy arts background.

And the result is that next Thursday sees the launch in Newcastle of what is believed to be the UK’s first Young People’s Charter for Arts and Culture.

Young artists have been working via NE-Generation - a local independent youth work programme - with leaders from the region’s cultural sector to ensure rising talents have a say in the arts.

NE-Generation is a Legacy Trust UK programme created to ensure that the positive impact of the London Olympics and Paralympics does not let up.

The idea is that the all-round enthusiasm inspired by our golden summer continues so that young people keep taking part in the arts.

The new charter, being launched at Newcastle’s Discovery Museum, is set to inspire creativity across the UK.

Ben Ayrton, NE-Generation programme manager and a former Royal Shakespeare Company actor, said: “The Olympics was all about inspiring the next generation and leaving a legacy that inspires people to take up a sport and to compete.

“It’s sometimes overlooked that the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad did the same thing for young people interested in the arts and culture.

“At a time when the North East faces reductions in staff and resources in the cultural sector, NE-Generation is looking for ways to uphold good practice and strong working relationships in the face of adversity.”

He added: “We have created this charter as a blueprint for museums and cultural venues to show how they can work with young people, harness their ideas and energy to create a richer and better cultural life in the UK.”

Organisations which helped on the charter include Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums, Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archives, the North East Circus Development Trust and arts organisations including Helix Arts, Baltic, ARC, New Writing North, Jack Drum Arts and Zendeh.

Bill Griffiths, programme manager at TWAM, said the hope is that it will help set a national benchmark for best practice.

“Ideally we’d like other regions of Britain to adopt these principles and ideas and support young people in the same way.”

Visit www.ne-generation.org.uk for more information.