The countdown has started to this year’s Skipton Puppet Festival.

It will take place over the last weekend of September, but already strange creatures have been spotted in the area and more are expected to appear over the coming weeks.

Before breaking up for the summer, youngsters at Embsay Primary School were treated to a puppet show by Skipton-based Lempen Puppets – the driving force behind the puppet festival.

And festival organisers and Skipton Extended Learning For All have secured Lottery funding for two three-day workshops where children can build giant fish puppets for the event.

They will work with professional puppet makers at Aireville School, learning puppet handling techniques ready to perform in the grand parade on Skipton’s streets on Sunday, September 29.

The festival’s Liz Lempen said: “The sessions are open to any youngsters from the age of eight to 14 years. They will all get the chance to bring fantastic creatures to life with some of the world’s leading parade artists.

“The leaders will guide and manage these budding puppet makers, developing their skills, inspiring them and making sure there’s lots of mess and fun along the way.”

The workshops will be held over three days – Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of next week and Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of the following week – with eight to 11 year olds welcome from 10am to noon and 11 to 14 year olds from 1pm to 4pm. Children can attend on their own or with family members and bookings can be made by ringing SELFA on 01756 795245 or emailing admin@selfa.org.uk.

Meanwhile a team of volunteers, including students from Craven College, have been working with Skipton Puppet Festival to bring the animals of Skipton Woods to life. The group is creating giant willow-and-paper creatures for the town’s Woodland Festival, which takes place next weekend, August 3 and 4 – coinciding with Skipton’s Yorkshire Day celebrations.

Artists Kerith Ogden and Alison Duddle, who have been working with the group, said: “This is a great project as the puppets will come to life in Skipton for both the woodland festival in August and the puppet festival in September.”

Alistair Nash, of the Woodland Trust, which manages the wood, said: “The woods are a hidden jewel in Skipton and we hope more people can discover and enjoy them.”

The puppet festival team is on the hunt for a team of volunteers to help animate the giant puppets, as each creature needs three people to help it to move round the woods. Contact the team via facebook.com/SkiptonPuppetFestival