A MEMORIAL event dedicated to arts champion and Eastenders actor Josephine Melville, is to take place in Southend.

Josephine Melville, a stalwart supporter and facilitator of the Southend arts scene and beyond, died last month after being suddenly taken ill backstage at the Nottingham Playhouse, where she was starring in the play Nine Night.

In addition to the memorial event - to be held at Metal Arts organisation where Josephine was a trustee - a book of condolences is also opening at Focal Point gallery this week.

The memorial will take place at Metal inside Chalkwell Hall, Chalkwell Park, on Saturday December 10, from 1.30pm - 4.30pm.

It will run on a 'drop in' basis.

The book of condolences will be in the gallery from 11am on Wednesday November 23 until Friday December 9 at 5pm.

The book will then be taken to the memorial event on December 10.

The event is just one of a number of plans taking place to honour the well-respected woman, who was behind so many projects and organisations including the East Beach Festival, the Hamlet Court Road festival, Southend's steel band group Steel Here, the charitable organisation The South Essex African Caribbean Association, to name but a few.

Further legacies in the pipeline in honour of Josephine include a mural by spray can artist Scotty Brave and a Time To Shine event - a project Josephine had launched to give creatives a platform to promote their work.

A spokesman for the memorial event, said: "People will be carrying out short performances in memory of Jo.

"The steel band will also be performing.

"At the end there will be a moment of remembrance and silence outside in the park after which we will turn on lights strung in the trees.

"An MC will host the whole programme. There will be food and drink and hot drinks and the room will be decked with large scale images of Jo".

Tanesha Baxter, Josephine's friend and trustee of SEACA, said: "Jo was the ultimate encourager.

"No matter where you were at in your career, she would be a listening ear and then tell you to go get that prize.

"She knew how to make everyone she came in contact with feel special.

"She mentored, she coached and she gave young artists opportunities to shine. She was also a visionary. She dreamt it and then it would manifest.

"The Steel Here gang with there numerous appearances across Southend was her dream and sharing our culture with the wider community was her aim.

"Her legacy shall carry on in the hearts of the people in Southend."