As excitement for a bumper Royston Arts Festival line-up next week builds, the organisers are calling out for more volunteers.

Creative Royston have laid on a smorgasbord of treats for the week long festival, including exhibitions, family activities, talks, theatre, dance and more.

The organisers, who have chosen ‘Illumination’ as this year’s theme, said: “We are always looking for more volunteers to help out during the festival – just an hour or two would be a great help. And if you have more time to spare, why not join our management committee?”

There is also a call-out for a person with a large van to help transport tree parts from Meridian School to the library next Saturday, September 19, at about midday for the Tree of Light display.

Anyone who is free and has a van is asked to contact secretary Carl Filby on 07563 366080.

The Tree of Light and all its decorations were made by schoolchildren from Meridian Upper School, Greneway and Roysia middle schools and Tannery Drift, Roman Way, Studlands Rise and Icknield Walk first schools.

Performers are already gearing up for the annual festival. Bassingbourn dance school DanceMatters, which will be offering free sessions for pre-schoolers, tweeted: “Excited to be in the new Royston Arts Festival programme!”

Popular amateur dramatics group CADS will be putting on a run of shows called Black Comedy and Light Entertainment. The first half of the show will feature short sketches, and the second will showcase Peter Shaffer’s Black Comedy in which most of the action is performed during a power-cut.

People are also encouraged to head down to Royston Cave next Saturday to see the landmark lit up in beautiful candlelight.

Another highlight is the bell ringing demonstration on Thursday, September 24, at St John’s Church, where visitors are invited to come along and see the ringers in action.

And don’t forget to join the Royston Town Trail, led by local historian F John Smith.

More information about all the events can be found at www.creativeroyston.org.