NIMBLE Fingers Art and Craft project, part of the Parish of Brentford, are organising a week long Arts Festival from March 15-21 at St Paul's Centre off Half Acre.

The festival includes an exhibition and lunchtime concerts from Monday-Friday from 1.15pm and Craft workshops between 10-12pm on Saturday March 20.

As part of the run up to the Festival week the parish has been running two competitions for all ages with the theme of 'Friendship' - one for poetry and one for art and has received over 80 entries! Nimble Fingers is pleased to have Barrie Armstrong, a local published poet, and Anne Warren, a City and Guilds Art Examiner, as distinguished judges for the competitions.

The winners of the competitions will be presented with their awards at a prize giving ceremony on Friday 19.

A spokesman for the group said: "Nimble Fingers is very grateful for the donation of the prizes by Brentford Chamber of Commerce and Agfa Gevarat. The Arts Festival has received support and sponsorship from the local business community, Quilliam estate agents, the Grand Union Community Development trust and local schools particularly St. Paul's Primary and Brentford School for Girls.

"The Arts Festival will be a real community celebration of creativity."

Entry to the festival is free and it open 11am-2pm Monday through to Friday. The concerts at 1.15pm are open to all. Open House, the award winning community cafe based at St. Paul's, will be serving special festival lunches from 12 noon every day.

All workshops cost £3 per adult, or £2 for those under 12yrs and £1 for an extra child, and must be pre-booked.

For information and booking, call 8568 7442.