A YEAR-long project by Thirsk Rural Arts group comes to fruition next weekend with an event celebrating people who live and work in the Howardian Hills.

Demonstrations of traditional crafts, an exhibition and the chance to talk to photographer, Tessa Bunney, and writer, Pat Borthwick, take place on Saturday, March 29 (11am-3pm) at the new Terrington Village Hall.

The exhibition, Up Shoots, is the culmination of a project commissioned by Rural Arts which encouraged artists to explore the Howardian Hills Area Of Outstanding Beauty through their creative talents.

The Yorkshire artist and writer worked together and with local communities and individuals to produce new work to raise awareness of the area and the people who shape it by making their living working on this land - farmers, foresters, hedge layers, gardeners and others.

The year-long nature of the project allowed them to explore how the seasons influence different aspects of this work.

The result is a collection of photographs, poetry and sound which will be previewed at the celebratory event and include displays and demonstrations by people who feature in the exhibition.

Nick Cooke, from Castle Howard nursery, will talk about the collection of seeds from a 100-year-old hedgerow and the propagation and planting of trees. Geoff Norton and Angela Cole, of Yorkshire Hurdles, will demonstrate weaving with willow withys and provide opportunities for people to have a go at this craft.

Pat Borthwick and Tessa Bunney will be there all day to chat about their work. They will give a short talk about the project and show some of the many images taken over the year that are not featured in the exhibition. Admission is free, and light refreshments will be available.

The artists also plan to run workshops offering participants a chance to respond to the exhibition while learning or developing visual arts or creative writing skills.