WINSFORD residents' experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic will be transformed into giant 'flags for hope' in the town centre.

Cheshire Dance in conjunction with Cabasa Carnival Arts is to run two free visual arts workshops to bring the community together for this special project.

Named 'Flags for Hope', the workshops will see the tales of Winsfordians transformed into four giant batik flags.

The first workshop will take place on Saturday, January 22 with a drop-in session between 10am and 4pm at Winsford Library.

The community is invited to come along and contribute ideas that pay homage to the town, its people and the local heroes who stepped up to support others during Covid-19.

These stories will be translated onto four batiks by carnival arts organisation Cabasa and displayed in the town centre.

Cheshire Dance, who has commissioned Flags for Hope for Winsford, is a registered charity and generates opportunities with people and partner organisations to create, learn and experience dance.

The Flags for Hope project forms part of the Reopening and Recovery programme, funded by the Governments Additional Restrictions Grant to Cheshire West and Chester Council.

The project is supported by Winsford Town Council and will culminate in a free family festival for residents of Winsford in March – these flags will mark the opening of the event.

Cllr Nathan Pardoe, mayor of Winsford said: "Flags for Hope is a great way for the Winsford Community to share their stories and celebrate their town and its local heroes.

"I’m looking forward to hearing these stories and seeing how Cabasa Carnival Arts and Cheshire Dance turn these ideas into pieces of physical art."

Adam Holloway, director of Cheshire Dance added: "We hear so many tales of how local people have gone above and beyond to help others during the pandemic.

"Flags for Hope is a visual celebration of this and the chance for the community to come together during Winsford’s cultural recovery."

For more information on these workshops, just search for 'Flags for Hope' at cheshiredance.org.

Details and information regarding the family festival in March will be shared in due course.