A COMMUNITY art project backed by national funding is hoping to ‘bring Rishton back to life’.

The ‘Reviresco’ scheme involves 15 schools and groups in the area creating artwork for the town, centred around Piggy Park.

The programme kicked off on Wednesday with a workshop with pupils from Rishton Methodist Primary School in George Street and events will be taking place up until the end of July, culminating at the Rishton Festival.

Artist Ursula Hurst, former teacher at St Charles RC Primary School in Knowles Street, is leading the project after receiving a £15,000 grant from Arts Council England to develop her work and run the scheme.

She said: “It’s about bringing the community together. There’s been a lot of closures in Rishton including the library, the clinic, the post office, and it’s left people feeling a bit down.

“This is just something to lift everyone in the area and bring them back to life.

“It’s about getting everybody to come up with creative ideas that will grow throughout the project.”

Miss Hurst specialises in felt and fibre creations and she will be assisting people create willow and tissue sculptures for the town’s festival parade, as well as permanent artwork for local community food garden Piggy Park.

A final exhibition will be held in a specially-designed gazebo called the ‘Felt Potting Shed’ in the summer to mark the Rishton Festival.

Over the next few weeks she will be getting the work started by visiting primary schools across the area to work on community murals inspired by children’s drawings.

All the primary schools in Rishton have agreed to take part in workshops, which will see different classes working at the same time, giving children the chance to socialise while learning new skills.

Cllr Jeff Scales, who represents Rishton for Hyndburn Council, said: “It should be a really good thing.

“There’s a number of openings and so many different forms of art for people to get creative with.

“It is really focusing on practical art.

“It will involve combining art with the local environment.

“It’s just the perfect match.”