WITH not much time to go, excitement is building for the launch of Holy Cross Church’s first Arts Alive Festival.

Rev Lewis Eden, the curate at Crediton’s Holy Cross Church, who has been masterminding the event to showcase local creative talent, said: “When I first put out a call for performers, I didn’t know quite what to expect but I am really delighted that we now have a full programme with everything from orchestral, folk and choral music to poetry to outdoor Shakespeare.

“Holy Cross Church has been serving the wider community for hundreds of years but we know that many living in the town today will never have stepped inside, so this is a great opportunity to show this historic building is not just reserved for its Sunday congregations.

“We look forward to welcoming everyone.”

Events in Crediton Parish Church kick off at 10am on Saturday, June 24, with the Crediton Youth Orchestra and conclude with the Holy Cross Church Choir at 3.30pm.   The day’s programme includes students from Queen Elizabeth’s School performing songs from their forthcoming production of “Moana”.

All these sessions and more are entirely free for the audiences; tickets are not required, and the church hopes people will just drop in and stay for as long as they are able.

There will be short breaks between individual performances when refreshments will be served in church.

At 4.30pm the action switches to the car park behind the church where Crediton Arts Centre’s new touring production of Shakespeare’s, “Much Ado about Nothing” will be performed.

Tickets for that event only are required and available at: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/creditonartscentre .

The full day’s programme of the whole festival will be in next week’s “Courier”.