YOUNGSTERS across Winchester are being invited to help organise a new festival celebrating their creative talents.

Children will have the chance to get creative at workshops while over-14s will design, market and manage performances.

COWFest - the Children of Winchester Festival - will be based at the Tower Arts Centre at Kings' School on February 13 and 14.

Winchester Sport Art and Leisure Trust (SALT) is encouraging volunteers for logo and flyer design, programme writing and layout, art gallery arrangement and stage management.

'Front of house' roles such as decorating venues, supporting workshop providers and selling tickets, also need to be filled.

SALT chief executive Emma Back said: "The aim of COWfest is to showcase local talent and bring new audiences to Winchester's youth arts providers, and also to give children a chance to have a go at different creative activities through workshops. Local young people can get involved in planning and marketing the festival, too."

She added: "We are starting small in 2016, but our aim is to develop COWfest over the coming years and to make it a regular feature of Winchester's festival calendar. Above all, it's about having fun and giving local children and young people a chance to develop and demonstrate their skills."

Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to complete a short application form by December 31 via surveymonkey.co.uk/r/COWfest2016.

Youth or children's arts groups who would like to perform should contact Ms Back at info@winchestersalt.org.