Kidderminster Arts Festival (KAF) will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and the town’s carpet heritage will be at its heart.

There will be a bumper programme of events, thanks to record funding from the Arts Council. There has also been additional support from Wyre Forest District Council’s ReWyre Initiative. KAF 2013 will see a programme of high-quality indoor and outdoor arts for all ages from local and national artists.

A carpet forest, created by Worcestershire artists Jo and Kate De Burgh of PLANET, will be the main attraction. The festival’s new partners, Brinton Carpets, are contributing huge amounts of waste carpet to create the forest in Kidderminster Town Hall. The ‘forest’ promises to be a magical environment full of lights and sounds to explore.

PLANET is also running a series of workshops for people and community groups to make leaves and flowers for the forest. To get involved email arts@wyreforestdc. gov.uk or call arts development on 01562 732 928. The council, which organises the festival, is also working with the Museum of Carpet, KAF Creatives, the Swan pub, Kidderminster College, Friends of St George’s Park and many more partners to bring the town alive.

Loz Samuels, the council’s arts development manager, said: “The 10th Anniversary Festival has a great line-up, thanks to the additional funding we have been able to secure. We have booked the shows and street performances and the programme is now being designed and printed – look out for the particularly ‘carpetty’ theme!”

She added: “KAF is about giving everyone access to arts and getting involved. Our buskers’ scheme is a great example of how you can be part of the festival. We’re looking for more acts to busk. We can offer a covered pitch in the market with power on Thursdays and Saturdays and other pitches are available in the week.

“We’ve already got festival favourites The Lady and the Sax confirmed to play on Thursday, August 15.”

The festival runs from Saturday, August 10 until Monday, August 26. Much of the programme is free and nothing costs more than £5.