An innovative arts project involving hundreds of pupils from 13 schools in the Southend area will culminate in a public show next month.

The Learning Town Project has brought in more than 30 artists, specialising in film, dance, drama, animation and writing, to work alongside pupils.

The results include an abandoned swimming pool transformed into an eco-laboratory, an orchestra consisting of electronic diodes played by six-year-olds and the Bible told through break-dancing.

Finished pieces will go public at a town fair on July 2. There will be a professional light, set and sound design, but every activity will derive from school projects.

The Learning Town Project is a collaboration between Royal Opera House Creative Partnerships and the Southend Education Trust, which promotes imaginative learning in Essex. dm.