CREATIVE students have worked with artists to create giant lanterns for the return of an annual festival parade.

About 30 Year Seven students from Harwich and Dovercourt High School (HDHS), in Dovercourt, joined art workshops to assist with making one of the eight huge lanterns, which will be used at the Illuminate Festival Parade at Harwich Quay this weekend.

Rosie Good, assistant head of the art and innovation faculty, said: “The students were fantastic and really made us proud getting stuck in with the different tasks.

“The workshop leaders were full of praise for the group, who they felt engaged particularly well with the project, and they also commented on how much they enjoyed working with the pupils at HDHS.

“This was a great enrichment opportunity for students to work with local artists towards a community project, helping them understand how art can be used in a wider context.”

Each student also had the opportunity to make their own smaller and individual lantern.

The puppet lanterns reflected figures and items related to the Mayflower story.

The Illuminate Festival is a spectacular light festival, taking place on tonight and tomorrow at The Quay, in Harwich.

The festival has become an annual event in the town for residents and visitors to enjoy.

The parade kick-starts the year-long celebrations commemorating the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower.

The Year Seven students from HDHS were the only students to get involved in the project at the school.