Need help with your Artsmark application?

County schools are being invited to a free advice day to get tips on how to apply for the prestigious Artsmark award.

Hereford's Courtyard Centre for the Arts is the venue for the event which runs from 10am to 4pm on Friday, October 17.

The Artsmark award is a national award given to schools that deliver a wide range of quality arts opportunities to their pupils.

Schools can book a half-hour slot to talk to a national assessor about their application.

There will also be the opportunity to take part in a "virtual surgery," which will involve schools e-mailing their application forms to a national assessor who will feedback on the form giving tips and advice on improving the application.

"The county's schools offer a huge variety of arts activities to their pupils and we want to celebrate this," said Sarah Laws, the council's Arts Learning Officer.

"It's a priority for the council to support more schools to achieve the award and I hope they will take advantage of the experience and expertise available to them on October 17," added Sarah.

Any schools interested should contact Sarah Laws on 01432 383658.