ARTISTIC juices were flowing in Cradley Heath this weekend as people tried their hand at painting, drawing, sculpture, music and much more at an arts taster day.

Arts Collective Creative Cradley Heath held the taster day at The Oaks Project, Maypole Fields, on Saturday giving local residents the chance to learn new artistic disciplines.

Chris Self, whose Oaks Project centre at Cradley Enterprise Centre hosted the event, said: "It was a great day and wonderful to see so many people getting involved in the arts.

"Hopefully we can build on this arts taster day success and hold bigger and better events in the future."

Classes included poetry, creative writing, an arts walk, silk painting, ukulele playing, plaster casting and a talk about the dark arts of journalism by News reporter Adam Smith.

Creative Cradley Heath chairman Fran Wilde said: "Everyone at Creative Cradley Heath would like to say thank you to everyone who took part in the event."

Cradley Heath and Old Hill Councillor John Tipper attended the event and took part in Louise Blakeway's drawing for print class.

He said: "It was great to see so many passionate people teaching others about their artistic discipline.

"I hope that this will become a catalyst for artistic endeavour in Cradley Heath and help get local people to explore their own talents."

Jo DeMille, who attended the event, said: "I really enjoyed the textiles printmaking with Annie Stellinga as I learned lots of new techniques and tips for making my own."

Creative Cradley Heath was formed last year in a bid to turn the town into a cultural hotbed of the borough after Sandwell Council announced the axing of The Public.

The group is made up of artists, historians writers, musicians, sculptures, designers and other people in the creative industries who promise to pool resources for the good of Cradley Heath.