The 76th Highbridge Festival of the Arts, which kicks off in less than two weeks, is expected to showcase 1,000 performers, as organisers prepare for 12 days packed with artistic competition.

The festival will be welcoming audiences to witness the local talent in Speech & Drama, Dance, and Music classes from March 4 to 16.

A festival spokesperson enthused about the promising future of some competitors.

"It's an opportunity to see people at the start of their performing arts journey," they said.

"You never know, you may see a future Hollywood actor, a concert violinist, or a West End Musical Star on stage in Burnham or Highbridge. All of these people have taken part in our festival in the past."

The festival will begin on March 4 at The Princess Theatre, Burnham-on-Sea, with two days of Speech & Drama, including poetry recitals from local children and expressive performances from adults, taking place on the opening evening.

Between March 6 and 10, the festival will transition into dance, offering audiences solos, duets, quartets, and group dances.

The home stretch of the festival, from March 12 to 16, will feature a music showcase at the Highbridge Community Hall.

This segment comprises a day dedicated to piano classes, performances by school choirs and instrumentalists, and a variety of recorder recitals.

Audiences will be treated to singing and drama excerpts from 'The Little Mermaid' and adult song and drama, concluded by a performance from The King Alfred Concert Band.

The festival segment will end with vocal entries on Friday and Saturday.

Attendees may purchase daily entry wristbands at a minimal cost, valid for all classes bar the Group Dance Nights.

Tickets for the latter will be available at The Princess Theatre's Box Office from the first day of the festival.

Detailed timetables are available at the venue.

For more information, visit the festival's website.