Artists and creative people from around Ashford are needed to help create an artistic trail around the town.

The community arts event, run by Ashford Borough Council (ABC), will see 30 giant Snowdog sculptures placed and displayed across the borough in a bid to attract more visitors to the area.

People are needed to decorate the huge, blank dogs which are based on the Raymond Briggs’ classic The Snowman and the Snowdog.

The Snowdogs are being placed around Ashford and will be displayed to the public for ten weeks, from September to November.

Then in December, the Snowdogs will then be auctioned off at a special gala event, with the proceeds going to the Pilgrims Hospice.

An Artist Inspiration Event is being held next Thursday, February 22, from 6 to 8pm at County Square where you can meet and speak with the team behind the event, meet “Sparky” who has already been designed as well as a blank Snowdog, check out the new artist studio and pick up an artist pack which will provide you with everything you need to submit your own Snowdog design.

The event will also go into detail about how to submit a design, the deadline dates, the selection process, the actual painting of the Snowdogs, the display trail, the final auction and answering any questions.

If your design is chosen by the sponsors to be featured on the Snowdog you will be paid £800.

The Leader of Ashford Borough Council leader Gerry Clarkson said: “This will be a significant cultural event for ten weeks in the autumn of 2018. Our streets and open spaces will become part of a world class trail of individually created Snowdogs sculptures.”

Mr Clarkson believes it will bring thousands of visitors to the town and promote businesses and organisations, while also boosting civic pride.

Similar sculpture schemes in the past have included the Superlambananas in the city of Liverpool in 2008 and the Knights trail in Lincoln as well as the Snowdogs by the Sea in Brighton and Hove which both ran last year.

For any more information, visit www.ashfordsnowdogs.co.uk or search for Ashford Snowdogs on Facebook or Twitter.