ARTISTIC imaginations are set to run riot with Purbeck Art Weeks Festival.

Beginning on May 23 and running until June 7, the festival's theme is Out of the Depths, which will incorporate dinosaurs, local history and myths, and creatures from the sea.

New this year is the Purbeck Art Weeks competition and your chance to win £250 towards a unique work of art of your choice from one of the exhibiting artists.

Enjoy Purbeck Art Weeks by train by taking Swanage Railway’s historic train from Norden Station – where you park your car.

Here you can first visit the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum, go down a ball clay mine shaft and explore their new exhibition of open air sculpture.

Next you can stop off in Corfe Castle with all its galleries and artists open studios; you can then continue your journey to Swanage where you will find a range of galleries and artists' studios.

Visitors to the festival can also explore the art of stone carving. Stone quarrying and working has been central to the history of the Isle of Purbeck.

You can visit the open studio exhibition of stone carving and lettering at the Burngate Stone Carving Centre in Langton Matravers.

The festival has plenty of evening entertainment including talks ranging from ones on famous Purbeck artists, on Jurassic fossils, and on making chairs and harpsichords.

You can enjoy wonderful music ranging from English Renaissance and twentieth century choral music to a Beethoven String Trio and much more.

For more details and for booking events online see purbeckartweeks.co.uk

A free festival brochure and colourful events programme is available for £1, from Durlston and elsewhere, including in Wareham and Swanage Tourist Centres.

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