The arts centre will keep its original name

The �8.5m Arc centre opened in Stockton in January 1999 offering cinema, comedy, theatre, music and restaurants.

But crippling debts of �750,000, caused by lower than expected audience numbers, led to the centre being closed in November 2001.

Now legal formalities surrounding the handover of Arc to its new owners have almost been completed.

The licence to use the building has been accepted and the final formalities should completed in the next few weeks.

Community based

Arc's new owners, Stockton Arts Centre, hope to reopen the venue by the autumn.

Events have been planned for next month including a summer school, rehearsals for a local production of Jesus Christ Superstar and a visual arts installation which will be used for the town's International Riverside Festival.

New collaborations between Stockton's Riverside College and COVE the Centre for Vocational Excellence in Performing Arts will also be based in the building.

Kevin Parker, director of ARC said: "It hasn't been easy. Things have been quite difficult tying up the lose ends of the previous company.

"It is a completely new start... the funding bodies wanted to have a complete new start on things.

"There is a lot more emphasis on education and the local community... previously, on the whole, it was not terribly centred in the community."