BURY Art Gallery and Museum is the venue for a unique new exhibition by innovative young national and international artists.

And the people of Bury will themselves be invited to participate in this revolutionary artistic "happening".

Paradise Revisited is the title of the show which is based on the response of 13 artists to items found in the museum's collections.

These range from anthropological photographs of 19th century Japan to the war diaries of local people.

The artists include writers and performers working across a diverse range of media such as photography, architecture, design and video. The exhibition opened on Saturday (Nov11) with a performance by the London duo, Eggebert and Gould. They were inspired by an old puppet they discovered in the museum's stores.

The show has been organised by the Manchester-based group, Brass Art, which has been curating such events for the past three years.

Spokesman Chara Lewis (31), who is herself one of the exhibitors, said: "Paradise Revisited has been inspired by the idea of an evolving collection. Starting minimally, the exhibition will grow and change as the artists add, re-arrange or adjust the work. The museum collection will be used to elicit responses from artists and the public."

Among the local people taking part will be such groups as Age Concern. They will be invited to choose items from the museum's "Paradise Street" . The items from the recreated old Bury Street will then be rehoused in the gallery upstairs. All the participants will have their portraits taken and the chance to discuss their choice of object on video. The photographs, video footage and selected items will form an important part of the exhibition.

Chara said: "It is a way of uniting the gallery and the museum. People usually tend to visit just one or the other."

The exhibition will run until January 20 when the closing event will see a full exposition of all works and documentation.