The annual Maryport Arts and Literature Festival is back, featuring writing, art, and photography workshops.

Talking trees, the ecology crisis, and historic battles for justice will be among the topics highlighted at the years' festival.

The festival, in it's 14th year, will take place on March 1 at the Senhouse Roman Museum in Maryport.

Jane Laskey, manager at the Senhouse Museum, said: "The arts and literature festival is now a well-established annual event, and this year we‘re delighted to be collaborating with the Maryport Arts and Heritage Partnership to take the programme to an even wider audience.

"Life on the Edge is a very appropriate theme for this area, and over the course of the festival we will cover a wide range of environmental, historical and literary topics.

"The festival will also be visiting community hubs in Maryport and along the coast and encouraging people to create their own work with a programme of creative writing, art and photography workshops which lasts until the end of May."

This year's theme of 'Life on the Edge' will feature a programme of talks in collaboration with the Maryport Arts and Heritage Partnership.

The initial events, which includes the opening weekend from March 1 to 3, are set to be held at the museum, with subsequent workshops planned in several locations including the Maryport town centre and Solway Coast to Allonby and Mawbray.

Features of the opening weekend include Caroline Moorehead presenting 'Mountain Guru: The Life of Doug Scott', Christine Raafat discussing her biographical novel The Will to Succeed: Lady Anne Clifford’s Battle for her Rights, and Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia, Suzanne Simard, discussing how trees communicate with each other.

Poetry writing by Cumbrian poet Kathleen Jones, painting led by local artist Alison Critchlow, writing sessions by local author Angela Locke, and photography are some of the workshops lined up for the programme as well.

Other highlights of the festival include Alastair McIntosh's discussion of his new book on the ecology crisis, local author Angela Locke talking about her new novel, Tamarisk: Love and War in France, and Steve Matthews reading from his collection of sonnets inspired by artist Gwen John.

The festival is supported by an Arts Council England Project Grant and the events scheduled in the town centre are additionally supported by funding from Historic England’s Heritage Action Zone.

More details about the programme can be found on www.senhousemuseum.co.uk.