CAMPAIGNERS from Oxford charity Oxfam have convinced some of the biggest names in pop to back their latest initiative – by painting themselves blue.

Pulp star Jarvis Cocker, hot new favourite Little Boots, and superstar DJ Fatboy Slim are among the stars who have daubed their faces as part of the campaign, which is designed to highlight the dangers of climate change.

And staff are now encouraging festival-goers at Glastonbury and other festivals, to join them in ‘going blue’.

The awareness drive is being launched at this weekend’s Glastonbury Festival, in Somerset.

Some 40 members of staff from the charity’s office in John Smith Drive, Cowley, have decamped to the festival – the biggest of its kind in the world – to campaign on development issues and organise the gathering’s army of nearly 2,000 stewards.

Oxfam is one of the festival’s main beneficiaries.

Throughout the weekend, charity workers will be encouraging more of the festival’s big name guests to join the campaign. Stars appearing over the weekend include Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Status Quo, Kasabian, Lily Allen, Doves and Ray Davies – former frontman of The Kinks.

Also playing are Oxford band Stornoway, and the re-formed brit-pop band Blur – featuring bass player Alex James, from Kingham, near Chipping Norton.

Other musicians to get painted up include Tom Smith from Editors, The View, Luke Pritchard from The Kooks, VV Brown and adopted Oxford singer-songwriter ‘Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly’.

The painted artists are being snapped by celebrity photographer Rankin.

Oxfam’s Rose Marsh, from Oxford, is spearheading the campaign at the festival.

She said: “This is a campaign that goes far beyond any previous festival appeal. “Oxfam is asking thousands of festival-goers across the summer to paint themselves blue as part of a massive visual statement to the Government to take action on climate change before it’s too late.

Little Boots, who is performing three sets at Glastonbury, said: “Doing nothing is not the answer to fighting climate change. Go blue, demand that the Prime Minister takes the lead in protecting the people of this beautiful planet and kiss goodbye to climate change. If everyone does their bit we can save the planet.”

Oxfam supporter Fatboy Slim, who has performed at the festival for the last 12 years, said: “I love the idea of people painting their faces blue for climate change at festivals this summer.

“It’s a fun way to get people engaged in a more serious issue. Even my son Woody will get a blue paintjob for the occasion!

“I'm sure people will have a great time being inventive about what they should paint. Hopefully it won't rain or we'll have fields of blue paint and maybe even blue cows!”

Oxfam panel The blue faces campaign marks Oxfam’s sixteenth year at Glastonbury.

Since 1993 Oxfam has signed up the support of 400,000 people for its campaigns at Glastonbury, raised £2.7m through volunteers’ stewarding and £522,000 through Oxfam stalls on-site.

Oxfam will have 1,950 stewards at Glastonbury, raising a minimum of £200,000 for the charity. There will also be 80 campaigners.

More than 70,000 new supporters signed up to Oxfam’s ‘I Count’ campaign in 2007, to stop climate change The blue faces petition will be presented to the UK government ahead of December’s critical climate change summit in Copenhagen, with Oxfam calling for a global deal that keeps carbon emissions at a safe level, and offers fair support to the millions of people in developing countries already suffering the effects of climate change.

For more information see: See: www.oxfam.org.uk/bluefaces