A MAMMOUTH 12 hour line up of artistic talent is appearing at the first ever Locked In Arts Festival in Cradley Heath this weekend.

The festival is the first to be organised by the arts collective Cradley Heath Creative and is being held at The Hollybush, Newtown Road, on Saturday.

Founder of Cradley Heath Collective Fran Wilde is looking forward to the festival.

She said: "We have a brilliant line up, our call for artists and performers for the free Locked In Arts Festival was a success and we have some real talent on show.

"There will be food, refreshments, local brews and a grand welcome for everyone dropping in to this free festival which is supported by Sandwell Community Chest.

"This is Cradley Heath Creative’s first arts festival and from the quality of our line up, we know that our festival goers will have a great time."

Performers on the day include poet Barry Drew, singer songwriter Pete Hackett, folk singer Alan Woodhall, performance poet Billy Spake Mon and Black Country dialect poet Kris Kenny.

Halesowen News reporter Adam Smith, also known as Steve Zacharanda, is also on the bill performing his one man show: Cut and Wasted: Confessions of a Hard News Hack.

Ms Wilde added: "We want to demonstrate the range of creative skills and flair in and around Cradley Heath.

"Highlights include the showing of the film, Chains, Dogs and CHAOS by Sara Tibbetts, commissioned last year by Multistory, in which she discovers her Cradley Heath roots."

As well as watching performers festival goers can get involved in various arts workshops including shared reading with Dominic Horton, collective sculpture with Tim Tolkien, collaborative painting with Lizzy Lee and body art with Sianne Shepherd.

There will also be a documentary by Cradley historian and filmmaker Harry Bloomer; a film by artist Fran Wilde and animation by Jenni Payne being shown throughout the day in the bar.

A host of visual art and photography will also be on display from Louise Blakeway, Hope Darby-Williams, Ann-Monique Stellinga, David Johnson, Glen Ostins, Kelsang Khechog, Kathleen Devai, Vicki Smith amongst others. There will also be works loaned by the Ikon Gallery's Black Country Voyages on show too.

The Locked In Festival runs from 11am until 11pm at The Holybush on Saturday, for more information see the Cradley Heath Creative page on Facebook.