THE final preparations are being made for next weekend's free two day arts festival in Cradley Heath.

The Grassroots Festival at the Hollybush Pub on Newtown Lane, is on Saturday, April 16, 11am till late, and Sunday April 17, 11am till 5pm.

There will be a wide variety of activities by artists, from arts workshops to performances, an exhibition, a collective paint-by-numbers and an ongoing mural.

Fran Wilde, Cradley Heath Creative chairman, is delighted how the festival is taking shape.

She said: We are really looking forward to the festival. It’s about showing local talent, and there’s plenty turning up.

"People who came to last year’s festival will remember the ad hoc programme with a surprise at every turn.

"This is our second year and we have expanded to two stages, one in the Hollybush itself, and the other in Ossbox which is our pop up arts venue, a converted horse trailer."

Visitors have the opportunity to have a drawing made for them, on the spot, by an artist. They can have their life story told by Miss Fortune, and get to own original work through an art auction early Saturday evening.

There will be showings of films of Black Country people made by artist Martin Parr, courtesy of Multistory, plus history and zombie films made locally.

The festival is attracting artistic types who live in Cradley Heath and those from further afield.

Performers include Billy Spake Mon, Walsall Poetry Society, The Shambollicks, Rooted in Rhythm, Pete Hackett, So It Goes, Derrick D and The Backbones.

And for the first time Black Country Radio will be covering the festival.

The festival is supported by the West Midlands Police Property Fund to encourage older isolated people to come along.

For more information visit the Cradley Heath Creative Facebook page.

Cradley Heath Creative was formed in 2013 as an arts collective to support activity and networking by creative people around the area.