BROADWAY Arts Festival has unveiled the line-up for this year’s event which focuses on the work of John Singer Sargent and the Broadway Colony, featuring artist and garden designer Alfred Parsons.

The festival runs from June 9-17.

The highlight of the festival will be Country Gardens: John Singer Sargent, Alfred Parsons and their Contemporaries, a major exhibition at Haynes Fine Art featuring more than 20 oils and watercolours by renowned 19th-century artist and garden designer Alfred Parsons, together with important works by John Singer Sargent, Alma Tadema, Lucien Pissaro and many others.

The exhibition will be unveiled by ‘Britain’s favourite polymath’ Sir Roy Strong on Saturday, June 9, and will remain open until the end of the Festival.

To honour this year’s featured artist and garden designer Alfred Parsons, the festival is organising a national art competition with the theme of “In the Garden”.

The winner will receive the John Singer Sargent Prize and £1,000 in cash, courtesy of sponsors John Noott Galleries of Broadway.

The closing date is April 27.

The festival will also include a performance of Peter Pan, by J M Barrie, who was a member of the Broadway Colony and a frequent visitor to the village.

The play will be enacted by local schoolchildren, who will also be the stars of the Children’s Parade that takes place on Saturday, June 9.

For more information, including a full programme of events and competition details, visit broadwayarts festival.com.