FOR most parents, the phrase youth culture' means teenagers standing on street corners drinking from a bottle of cider.

But some believe that if such young people were introduced to real culture in the form of the arts, museums, galleries and theatres, such time-wasting pursuits might take a back seat. Certainly, introducing a different, more positive form of culture to the nation's youth has top class support, including the Prince of Wales.

The Prince has launched his own Foundation for Children and the Arts, and says: "The arts have a vital role to play in helping young people develop their full potential as human beings and as part of our society. To do this children really do need to feel that the arts are something they can access."

And the Government is trying to address the accessibility problem by ensuring that every school pupil has at least five hours of high-quality culture per week', with a particular focus on those who would otherwise miss out'.

As part of the Creative Partnerships initiative, children in 10 pilot scheme areas will get the chance to attend top quality theatre and dance performances, exhibitions, galleries, museums and heritage sites.

It's all about making creativity seem more fun to children, says Richard Darlington, a spokesman for Creative Partnerships.

The scheme aims to instruct teachers and people from creative professions, ranging from staff at the Royal Opera House to a DJ's collective, how to make creativity both educational and attractive to young people.

"You won't change any child's attitude to the arts and culture in just an afternoon - it needs to be a structured, ongoing programme," he says.

"We're trying to give children the life skills they need. Modern employers are asking for more than just good qualifications - they want competent communicators, for example, and the theatre teaches that incredibly well."

He says that as well as helping children develop life skills, encouraging them to experience different cultural activities can be good for parents too.

"Parents can find some academic work difficult themselves, but the arts and culture is, like sport, much easier for them to get involved in.

"I think it's important that the Government doesn't try and force particular art forms or culture on children. But if they don't have the opportunity to try it when they're a child then they go into adult life thinking that certain art forms are off the table.

"What we want to do is make children confident consumers of culture so they can make choices about what they like based on having had an experience of it."

He says increasing numbers of museums and galleries are becoming more family-friendly, with interactive zones for children and so on.

"If they can see and feel and touch, you often get a much more positive interaction than if kids just look," he stresses.

Part of the improvement in family-friendly culture may be down to the charity Kids in Museums, which aims to ensure that all families are welcomed in Britain's museums and galleries.

The charity was founded by writer Dea Birkett, who hopes increasing numbers of family-friendly cultural attractions will prompt more youngsters to visit.

But she points out that often it's not the parents who have to persuade children to try a spot of culture, but vice-versa.

She says: "Research is showing that in some families, particularly the disadvantaged ones, the only person who will have been to a museum is a child with a school visit. Often they'll have had such a great time that they come back and say to their parents they should go too.

"So one of our aims is that such school visits become an invitation to the whole family to visit museums and galleries."

She says that what kids get out of such visits is "the thrill of the real", stressing: "There's nothing like putting your hands on a rock that's hundreds of millions of years old. Kids love the fact that what they're seeing and feeling is real - that feeling is unbeatable."

Must-see local museums and art centres

Bradford on Avon museum, Bridge Street, Bradford on Avon, (01225) 863280 / 868127

A taste of the natural and historical heritage of the town, the museum offers free entry and can be found upstairs in the library.

Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon, 01225 860100 www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk

The Centre has nine flexible workshop and meeting spaces, a 300 seat concert hallm conference facilities, a recording studio, cinema screen and bar.

Corsham, The Pound, Pound Pill, Corsham, 01249 701628 http://poundarts.blogspot.com

This recently opened arts centre has an exciting mix of music and theatre, as well as art and drama workshops for children, art exhibitions and a café bar.

Chippenham, Museum and heritage centre, Market Place, Chippenham

Chippenham Museum & Heritage Centre is located in an 18th century grade II listed building in the Market Place and tells the story of the historic market town, from prehistoric times up until the present day.

Trowbridge Museum, The Shires, 01225 751339

This charming museum looks at life in the county town through the ages with particular focus on the cloth industry.

The Arc Theatre, College Road, Trowbridge, 0845 299 0476

The Arc has children's events, comedy, plays, dance and music. Visit the website for details of upcoming shows.

Warminster, The Athenaeum, 18-20 High Street, Waminster, 01985 213891 www.theath.org.uk

Built in 1857, The Athenaeum is a fine grade II listed building and plays host to community groups, classes and activities.

Dewey Museum, Warminster Library, Three Horseshoes Mall, Warminster, (01985) 216022

Warminster from the Iron Age to the present day. It houses the Manley Collection of Fossils, Victorian artifacts, archives and rural tools.