SCARYPORT will live up to its rather misleading nickname this month when ghosts and ghoulies come to town.

Adults and children alike are invited to get their spook on and take part in two Halloween-themed workshops this Saturday, October 21.

The crafty workshops are being held to encourage more people to think about volunteering as part of Maryport’s Scaryport Festival and will be run by Helping Hands on behalf of the Senhouse Roman Museum and The Settlement.  

The brand new festival this October half-term is dedicated to all things ghostly, reclaiming the ‘Scaryport’ nickname and turning it into a week-long event for all the family to enjoy.

There will be arts and crafts, mask-making, ghost walks and talks, live music, costume-making and puppetry before the week finishes with a spooktacular parade.

Adults can test their nerves at evening events from the talks and walks to horror film showings within local businesses.

Jane Laskey, manager at the Senhouse Roman Museum, said: “It’s great to be involved in the Scaryport festival and to be able to deliver the Roman-themed workshops from the town centre.

"The workshop will be a great opportunity for local people to get creative and also learn more about volunteering opportunities available at the Senhouse Museum”.

The festival is organised by Maryport Arts and Heritage Partnership, which has also offered the funding to Helping Hands for the two arty workshops.

A workshop at Her Citi, run by local Cumbrian artist Abby Kilfedder of Artscool, will help participants create creepy clay Roman lamps and masks inspired by the 'rotten Romans'.

The second workshop, at Maryport Town Hall, will be run by local mosaic artist Helen Clues, who will show families how to make Halloween-themed mosaics.

Both art workshops are drop-in sessions.

Both events will be on Saturday, October 21 between 11 am and 3pm.

The Helping Hands project has more than 70 volunteering organisations across Cumbria covering a range of volunteering opportunities – from translation to grounds maintenance, and gallery attendants to craft-makers.

It is funded by Arts Council England and is led by Cumbria Museum Consortium. It is hoped that, if successful, Scaryport Festival could become an annual creative cultural event to bring more people to Maryport. It is part of the Made in Maryport cultural programme.

Scaryport Festival takes place throughout October half term week, starting on Monday, October 24 and ending on Sunday, October 29.