SCHOOLS and community groups have been hard at work putting the finishing touches on artwork that will add colour to Shipley this weekend.

The Shipley Street Arts Festival begins on Friday, and will see three days of performance art, workshops, music, circus skills and dance.

To prepare for the festival, different Shipley groups have been decorating large 3D letters that will be used to spell out the town’s name as one of the art installations for the event.

Yesterday pupils from Shipley CofE Primary School were busy decorating one of the letters, and other groups to have decorated a letter are Shipley Baptist Church, community arts group Hive, Hoyle Court, Christ Church Academy. Baildon C of E Primary and Hazelbeck special school.

The letters will be unveiled at 10am on Friday, at the festival opening, and be on display for the full weekend.

The festival started in 2014, developed to bring more art to the centre of Shipley, and most of the entertainment takes place in and around the town’s market area.

Each year it attracts thousands of people to watch the varied acts and take part in interactive events.

This year’s theme is exploration and the event has been sponsored by the Arts Council, Shipley Town Centre Partnership and the town’s Ibis hotel, and is being delivered by local group Q20 Events.

Headlining Saturday and Sunday is Peter Sweet and David Poznanter’s acclaimed circus act BOOM! The pair will don masks and perform classic circus acts, including, slackrope and juggling.

Lori Hopkins, puppetry consultant for Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, performs her acclaimed show The Explorer, as well as running exclusive masterclasses where people can explore the art of puppeteering.

Bees - The Colony is an art installation by Artizani and Avanti Display which offers a “multisensory experience” giving audiences the chance to get involved in the installation, getting up close and personal with “deluxe and sumptuous bee hives”.

Other highlights include Professor Percy Veer’s family show Rockets and Robots and numerous travelling performers.

There will also be a silent disco and sign language sessions, pupils from Titus Salt School delivering a dance piece and art work from local schools and community groups.

Hive will be opening its doors at 1pm on Friday, and will offer free arts and crafts events, and Shipley Indoor Market Hall is also running a craft fair on Friday and Saturday, with local artists selling their work.

For the full line-up see the Facebook page Shipley Street Arts Festival.