WINSFORD town centre has been transformed into a laundry-style art gallery, showcasing art from all the community including the town’s schoolchildren.

Artwork will be hung up through the shopping centre from today and into next week.

The project is to coincide with the French national art project ‘Laundry Day’, sweeping the country today, Thursday.

CrossHatch Gallery owner Derek Johnson came up with the idea as a way of linking Winsford with its twin town, Deuil-la-Barre.

Derek said: “We’re running this in parallel with our French twin town. It’s something they do across France and when I went over there in October with the mayor Steve Smith, I got the idea to do this in Winsford on the same day as a way of linking us together and promoting our link.

“It is about improving our link with our twin town, but also it’s a great way to raise the image of our schools and get children involved in art. It’s a lovely opportunity for the schools to publicise themselves.”

All Winsford primary schools and the Academy will showcase their pupils’ art in the project.

Chris Shone, teacher at Willow Wood Primary School, said: “The theme was their view on the world, which gave us a lot to play with and each of our years that got involved, years four, five and six, interpreted it differently.

“Art is big on my agenda and it does annoy me when sometimes it isn’t treated as a proper subject in schools. It very much is with this school and other schools in Winsford, and this is a great way to promote it to our youngsters. We need lots more of it.”