LIFE drawing workshops, live music and poetry and even art made on an iPad will feature at the first ever Lake Street Festival of Art.

South Oxford Community Centre will hold the three-day celebration of visual and performance arts on the first May Bank Holiday weekend.

The centre has never held an event like it before, but organisers said they wanted to celebrate the talents of local artists.

They have invited artists from South Oxford, Grandpont, Hinksey and Sandford to get in touch if they want to join in with the inaugural event.

Organiser Debby Forbes, centre administrator, said: “We usually do something or other for art weeks but this will be a festival of art.

“If any artists want to get involved they should get in touch because this year we’ll be doing something different.”

The Lake Street community centre will open its doors to art lovers and art novices from 10am to 5pm from Saturday, May 2, to the Monday.

Organisers have already booked six local artists to display their works, including watercolour and oil painters, potters and a lithographer.

Mrs Forbes, who lives on Lake Street, said she had also booked a local man who makes paintings using an app on his iPad to show off his digital drawings.

During the day on Saturday and Sunday there will also be a life drawing workshop and a ceramics workshop, each due to last a few hours, Mrs Forbes said.

And on the Saturday night the centre will hold a Cabaret party with music and poetry from around the world, performed by members of Oxford’s Confluence Collective.

Mrs Forbes added: “We’ll have everything – entertainment, a licensed bar, local musical talent from the area and a lady reading poetry.”

As well as running the community centre, Mrs Forbes also runs the weekly stitch and chat group there, and said she may even exhibit some of her own woolly works.

Oxford City Council leader Bob Price, who is also ward councillor for Grandpont, backed the plans.

He said: “We have had art events at the community centre as part of Art Weeks for years and it’s always be very successful.

“The community centre has a successful art group and on the back of that it was felt an arts festival it would be a good idea which would draw people in from the area.”

Mr Price also said he hoped the two local primary schools – St Ebbes and New Hinksey – could get their children involved in some way as well.

pAnyone who would like to find out more about the festival or how to exhibit should call the centre on 01865 242666 or email enquiries@southoxford.org To keep up to date on activities at the centre day-to-day go to southoxford.org