Moorfield Media has announced plans to launch an art fair at Urbis in Manchester, with the aim of allowing art buyers access to original pieces of art to suit any budget.

The organisers hope to capitalise on the 5.9 million people in the UK that aspire to buy original art – a market that is said to be worth £354.4 million, according to the Tastebuds report, carried out by Morris Hargreaves McIntyre on behalf of the Arts Council.

The event, which will be known as the Buy Art Fair, has been designed to meet the growing demand for art ownership in the region, according to the organisers, and pledges to showcase hundreds of artists from some of the North West's most respected galleries.

The Buy Art Fair will take place from 9-12 October 2008 and is a joint venture between Moorfield Media and Urbis. Around 7,000 art buyers are expected to attend the event, which will take place over four floors of Urbis. Included within the event programme will be live artist seminars, talks, auctions and children's activities.

"The market for original art is thriving in the North West and there is potential to more than double the number of art sales in the region,” said Vaughan Allen, chief executive at Urbis. “Recent market reports show that art appreciation is clearly on the increase and original art is rapidly gaining wide recognition as a credible option for investment.

"The Buy Art Fair will provide a platform to educate people interested in art on starting their own collection and showcase new talent, something very close to the heart of Urbis. Who knows, we could have the next Damien Hirst selling work at the Buy Art Fair and visitors with a keen eye could snap up the investment of a lifetime?"

Commenting on the new launch, event manager Clare Tams said: "One of the main barriers against buying original art is the way in which artwork is currently bought and sold. Through the Buy Art Fair, we're keen to show people that art can be easily accessible to all. The event will appeal to anyone who has an appreciation of art, whether you're an experienced art collector, a corporate art buyer or someone who has never actually owned an original piece of art.

"As well as the more expensive artworks on sale, many artists will be selling original drawings, paintings, photography and sculptures starting at very affordable prices, which means that even those on a budget can afford to own beautiful works of art."

For more details, visit www.buyartfair.co.uk