SPARK, Farnham Maltings’ annual youth arts festival, returns for its ninth year. Opening on Friday, March 18, featuring the work of more than 200 young people and with a host of free workshops, the 2016 festival is set to be bigger and better than ever before.

The festival kicks off later today at 5pm until 8pm with an exhibition of visual artworks, including masks by Surrey Young Carers, paintings from young parents attending the Hale Sure Start Centre, graffiti by young people from Step by Step, a homeless charity in Aldershot and a short film by the Maltings Animation Club.

Also being exhibited are all entrants to the Young Portrait Artist Competition. The winners across each of the three age categories will be announced at 6pm having been chosen by three professional artists.

Saturday (open from 10am to 4pm) is dedicated to a day of free participatory art workshops and drop-in sessions for children and young people, ranging from drumming and dance, to animation and felting. The full schedule of free workshops are available on the Farnham Maltings’ website.

Throughout the morning, visitors are invited to take part in the Sport Relief Dance-a-thon being run by The Dance Movement. It takes place between 10am and 12pm and will cost £2 per person to take part with all the money going to Sport Relief.

There will be six, 20-minute sessions where participants will be able to have a go at dancing along to Michael Jackson’s Thriller, joining in with some Bollywood and limbering up to take part in some ballet sequences.

Rachel Palmer, programme director at The Dance Movement said: “We are particularly keen to encourage mums and daughters to come along to the dance-a-thon and to have fun taking part in an activity together. Dance is for everyone and this event aims to raise money and give participants a really brief insight into some different styles of dancing.”

The festival concludes at 7pm on Sunday, March 20, with a performance in the Great Hall featuring dance, music and theatre performances from local youth groups. This year’s demonstration involves work created by Maltings Animation Club, Junior Maltings, The Dance Movement, Farnham Scouts, Farnham Sea Cadets, 40 Degreez and Stepping Stones.

The Mayor of Waverley, Mike Band, will be attending the festival to join in with the celebration of the creativity and imagination of young people from across the borough.

Charlotte Hall, art and culture manager at Waverley Borough Council said: “Spark is a collaboration between Waverley and Farnham Maltings designed to give young people access to artists and I am delighted that the project has grown over the years and is now in its ninth year.”