Arts Diary: Will Marriott

That will be the rallying call on Sunday when the four-hour film challenge takes place in Leeds, pitting film-makers in the city against Scousers and Geordies.

Enthusiasts from Liverpool and Newcastle will also be taking part in the challenge, which will see film-makers given just four hours to create their movie.

At midday on Sunday, April 11, five teams in each city, based at the Round Foundry Media Centre in Leeds, FACT Picturehouse in Liverpool and the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle will be given a working title and two professional actors with whom to collaborate.

Actors in Leeds include Jack Deam, most famous for his role as pyromaniac Marty Fisher in Shameless, and Tony Mooney, who has appeared in The Street and the acclaimed 2009 drama, the Red Riding Trilogy.

As part of the digital shootout, film-makers will have just four hours to shoot, edit and deliver their four-minute film, using industry standard editing kit, then all 15 films will be screened at 5.30pm to a live audience.

To view the final films, find out more about NorthernNet, log on to www.northernnet.co.uk

The keyboard player from '80s chart-topping band Hue and Cry is exhibiting paintings in the seaside town of Bridlington this spring.

Now a teacher, practising artist Lesley Birch is to exhibit with colleague Ailsa Read in a show called The Sea, The Sea, which will feature small and large works on paper and canvas exploring the ocean in all its moods as well as coastlines, beaches and skies.

Lesley Birch originally hails from Glasgow and toured the UK and USA with Hue and Cry.

Now based in York, she teaches English at St Peter's School, Clifton. Her art has won her awards including the Leeds Art Fair Satellite Award and a highly commended at the Harrogate Open. More recently, she gained a semi-finalist place in The National Art Competition 2010 in Chichester.

Colleague Ailsa Read, from Bardsey, near Leeds, is a regular exhibitor at RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate. She studies fine art at Leeds College of Art and exhibits in the UK and Ireland.

This free exhibition is open Thursday to Saturday from 10.30-4.30 and runs from April 10 until May 29. All work is for sale.

Jessie Buckley was as good as her word when she said she would do anything for the Harrogate International Youth Festival.

Buckley came second in the BBC show I'd Do Anything, which featured Andrew Lloyd-Webber searching for an unknown actor

to play the part of Nancy in the West End.

The young star lent her support to the Youth Festival, held earlier this month, saying: "The Youth Festival is a wonderful event,

and it was so exciting to be celebrating young performers from around the world. I was delighted to lend my support to the festival."