AS Winchcombe prepares for its third Festival of Music and Arts visitors can look forward to a new format.

This year the festival, which runs from Friday, May 24 to Monday, May 27, is taking on a new look programme of workshops in music, arts and crafts.

Nearly 30 events have already been lined up including workshops in morris dancing, radio broadcasting, medieval music-making, pottery and street theatre.

Festival Chairman Roger Paine said: “This year’s festival is a real ‘hands-on’ event with a wide range of music, arts and crafts workshops so people can actually try things out for themselves.

“Whether you want to try your hand at a new pastime or skill or just have bit of fun, this year’s festival will be the place to do it.”

The workshops will run alongside choral concerts, piano and poetry evenings and art and historical talks.

It will also coincide with the popular week-long Art Trail where local artists open their homes and studios to the public and new for this year there will be art works in local gardens.

Winchcombe Art Club will be staging its annual exhibition in support of the festival and rounding off the festival weekend will be the Bank Holiday Monday Street Fair which runs throughout the day with about 60 stalls, live music and street entertainment.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer to help out at events during the weekend should email roger.paine@btinternet.com Brochures giving full details of the festival programme will be available in April when tickets will also go on sale. For details visit winchcombe.co.uk/festival