Bishop's Castle gears up for its first ever arts festival (From Ludlow Advertiser)

Bishop's Castle gears up for its first ever arts festival

3:40pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Bishop's Castle

A SOUTH Shropshire town is to stage its first arts festival.

The Bishop's Castle Arts Festival begins on Thursday, February 16.

Sue Willmer, Henry Hunter and David Palliser are still adding events to the four- day programme, aimed at attracting people to Bishop's Castle at a quiet time of the year.

“There is so much talent in the town,” said Sue.

“We have had a fantastic response and local shops and businesses have been generous in their support.

“The town council has donated £100, Lydbury North English Centre and Westhope College each gave £50, with many others donating smaller sums. It all helps to get the festival off the ground and if it’s a success, who knows where it will lead.”

Clive Sawyer has offered his vacant office in Market Square as a festival HQ and a printed programme of events will be available a week before.

Some of the events planned include an artisan market in the town hall with 20 stalls; a burlesque life drawing evening in the Three Tuns, exhibitions and talks, knitting, crochet, patchwork and painting workshops, a tea dance as well as live music events and much more.

Craven Arms-based company Igloo Vision will be projecting moving images onto the walls of Bishop's Castle Town Hall on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

All the printed material for the festival has been created by Bishop's Castle graphic designer David Hand, together with the website www.bishopscastleartsfestival.

co.uk .