TWO organisations involved in creative arts are collaborating to put sustainability and the current economic crisis into the spotlight.

The Duchy Square Centre for Creativity in Princetown is partnering with the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World (CCANW) in Exeter to exhibit the project 'Art, Ecology and the Economy', which will be displayed at both centres simultaneously from January 23 to March 28.

The project aims to encourage businesses to find innovative solutions to environmental challenges. The main focus will be tackling climate change, and the artists and businesses will work closely to develop ideas into sustainable business opportunities for the benefit of local communities in the Dartmoor area.

A public launch of the exhibition will be held at the Duchy Square centre for Creativity on Sunday, January 23 at 2pm to 4pm.

Tracy Hill, South West regional manager for Integria Ltd, which manages Duchy Square, said the collaboration would enable artists, designers, environmentalists and the wider business community to share ideas and expertise to achieve common goals.

She said: 'One of the aims of this project is that it brings about wide ranging benefits for the local community by significantly increasing demand for local services and local products. This will be achieved by artists and designers at Duchy Square and CCANW, as well as elsewhere on Dartmoor, promoting creative work that utilises natural resources from local sources increasing awareness of local cultural and recreational assets.'

Duchy Square will host two forums as part of the project, bringing interested parties together to take part in presentations, discussion groups and networking opportunities. The first forum, Wool Culture, will explore how the creative sector can utilise natural products and will be held on February 11, 10am to 4pm. The second, Establishing Culture, will bring together ideas from the exhibition to build new partnerships between artists, creative practitioners, environmentalists and business, on March 18. For more information about the project, visit http://www.duchysquare.org">www.duchysquare.org