THE wonderful Skipton Puppet Festival is set to return in the autumn for an eighth time - and this time there is going to be giant insects galore.

And, to get everyone in the mood, organisers are offering puppet-making bursaries of up to £100 for groups to make their own puppets and take part in this year’s insect circus parade.

Up to a dozen bursaries are on offer to groups - but anyone interested needs to hurry up as the deadline for applications is the end of June.

Described by visitors as “the best thing that happens in Skipton” and the “highlight of the event calendar”, the puppet festival will take place over three days in October with puppets galore from across the UK and Europe.

There will be traditional favourites like Punch and Judy, a 2.5metre high Don Quixote, a giant prehistoric bird skeleton and a fire breathing dragon, and two new shows from 2017’s hit company ‘Zero En Conducta’, including the very topical ‘La Poubelle Plus Belle’, all about rubbish and recycling.

Fans of the festival will have to wait until next month for the full line up, while the box office will open in early August.

And thanks to generous funding from Skipton Mechanics Institute the festival will be continuing to extend its community participation offer. Which, on top of the bursaries, will also include primary school performances, and a project for 14 to 18 year olds.

For individuals and families who also fancy getting stuck in, there will be free parade puppet-making workshops over the last two weekends of September, run in partnership with Handmade Parade, and more drop-in puppet-making opportunities at the festival itself.

The festival itself will include 24 ticketed indoor shows at various venues around Skipton. There will also be plenty to see at the Canal Basin Hub, with marquee stages and walkabouts, and also the Kennet Barge and many more street performances and puppet interactions.

A festival spokesperson said: “Over 60 per cent of shows at Skipton Puppet Festival are free, which means that everyone can experience the puppetry magic regardless of income, enjoying performances from world-class established puppeteers to student and experimental work.

Anyone keen to get involved with the festival should contact the festival via its Facebook page or through the Festival website – there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. “

To find out more, including how to apply for one of the puppet-making bursaries, visit the Community page on the Skipton Puppet Festival website: skiptonpuppetfestival.co.uk