MORE than 100 people visited a Digital Harwich Live event last Saturday marking the beginning of a three-year project.

Signals, an arts and education charity based in Colchester, staged the day-long event which included free workshops on animation, games design, combined crafts and digital skills.

The three-year Digital Harwich project is part funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and aims to help people of all ages learn more about and experience digital technology.

Signals director Rachel Hipkiss said: “Digital Harwich Live was a great start to the project.

"It was fantastic to meet so many enthusiastic children, young people and parents.

"Everyone got involved with playing games, talking to all the different people on the stands and taking part in the workshops.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard: Learning - Signals is a charity and centre for creative digital learningLearning - Signals is a charity and centre for creative digital learning (Image: Signals)

Parent Remi, who attended the event, said: ‘I saw an ad on Instagram and decided to come along with my daughter.

“I am always very interested in getting young people into the arts, and I really like what Signals is doing here."

Daughter Violet said she liked doing the animation workshops and the coding workshop was "great”.

The event included live performance and digital stories by Funnelwick Limb Theatre Company and a volunteer from charity REMAP, showing young people how custom-made equipment can help people with disabilities live more independently.

There was also a 3D model of a crab trying to survive in Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds Marine Conversation Zone – part of an Essex University research project into protecting the ocean.