THERE is now just one week to go before a major new projects hits Hexham town centre.

Animating Hexham, which will take place between September 9-12, will see a number of the town’s shops and recognisable landmarks lit up by several animations that will be created by local families and artists.

The project, which is funded by Historic England and takes inspiration from the heritage of the town, plans to both remind people of memories of the past while also hoping to create new stories as well.

Professional artists have been commissioned to create animations based on stories and memories about the High Street collected by Northumberland Archives and Hexham Libraries.

They include Erin McGrath, Jason Kerley, Petra Szemán, Ronan Devlin and Rozi Fuller.

Animator and filmmaker Sheryl Jenkins is also working with families to create a series of animations to be showcased online and projected in Hexham town centre.

Katy Taylor, Artistic Director/Chief Executive of Queen’s Hall Arts and Chair of the Hexham Culture Network said: “We hope that Animating Hexham will inspire people to share their memories, get creative and feel a sense of ownership of Hexham’s rich heritage, as well as thinking about the future of our historic town.”

The animations will form part of a trail when the event takes place, with the stating point being in the town’s marketplace.

Animations will be projected onto shopfronts throughout the main shopping streets between 7-9pm each day.

The project is being managed by the Hexham Culture Network on behalf of the Hexham High Street Heritage Action Zone, with the group hoping to help rejuvenate the town centre and make it a more attractive place to visit and both live and work in too.