WELCOMING a new child into the family is at the heart of new show at this year's Festival of Thrift when a group of specially trained artists will be working with children.

Thrifty Ceremonies, a project by the award-winning Cumbrian arts company Dead Good Guides, aims to engage visitors in thinking about the potential for creating their own naming ceremonies.

Sue Gill, of the group, said: “People who are not members of a church may be reluctant to consider baptism for their child on account of the specific promises they are required to make, and which they may feel are inappropriate.

“Naming ceremonies are secular events that are personal and focused on the new parents and their hopes for the child’s future. They can also be a particularly valuable and important way of binding a new family with adopted children and step children.”

Dead Good Guides believe that this project is the first to be programmed at a festival and visitors on September 23 and 24 at Kirkleatham, near Redcar, will be able to visit a beautifully dressed arbour to get ideas, confidence and inspiration to create their own ceremony.

She added: “It’s the best festival in the country to prototype secular ceremonies as they are in keeping with the ethos of Festival of Thrift - you can do it yourself and it need not cost an arm and a leg.

“We are not expecting to lead actual naming ceremonies impromptu at the Festival, but who knows.”

For further details about the range of activities available at the free event visit festivalofthrift.co.uk