The college has taught some of the biggest names in the arts

The meeting in Totnes Civic Centre is being chaired by Totnes MP, Anthony Steen, to try to find ways of keeping Dartington College going.

The Dartington Trust is discussing whether to close the campus and move either to Plymouth or Falmouth.

The suggestion has met strong local opposition.

Limited accommodation

Many residents of Totnes say it would rip the heart out of the area, which has been home to the college since 1961.

The college is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council which is expected to publish a report this month on the state of the establishment, addressing its future.

The College principal Professor Andrew Brewerton and Dartington Hall Trust chief executive Vaughan Lindsay are joining Anthony Steen on the stage to take questions from the audience.

The estate where the college is based is now owned by the Dartington Hall Trust which leases buildings to the college, one of the smallest of its kind in the UK with 680 students.

There is limited student accommodation available at Dartington and the college says a move to Falmouth or Plymouth is being considered to preserve its long-term future.