Hundreds of school children are preparing for a special arts festival as part of celebrations to mark Oxfordshire's 1,000th birthday.

In-Tents Arts is the culmination of arts projects in schools across Oxford where pupils have been working with performing artists for two months.

The budding artists have produced three large tents, which will be put up in the grounds of Oxford Community School, in Glanville Road, next week.

About 25 students from each of the schools taking part - including East Oxford; Larkrise; Our Lady's; SS Mary and John; St Christopher's; St Francis; Church Cowley; St James; Bayards Hill; St Andrew's; Windmill and Wood Farm primaries; Oxford Hospital School and Iffley Mead special schools and Headington Quarry, Comper and Slade nursery schools - worked with the artists after school to produce the tents.

Janice Gordon, head of St Francis Primary School and chairman of the Isis Partnership of Schools, said: "We are delighted to develop the opportunities for after hours activities with Oxford Extra Arts.

"In-Tents Arts will be an excellent community event for schools and local residents to share."

As well as the tents themselves, some of the pupils, who had been working with performance artists, have created dance, drama and musical pieces which will be performed in and around the tents.

Inspiration was drawn from artefacts which were discovered in Oxfordshire and are now in collections at the Pitt Rivers Museum.

Pegasus Theatre and visual arts agency Fusion co-ordinated a special workshop with staff at the museum to develop ideas which could be used in sessions at the schools.

Sue Baker, head of St Andrew's Primary School and chairman of the Headington Schools Partnership, added: "This is a larger programme than previous years and each of the schools will be working closely with the artists to create a showcase of which pupils, parents and the local community can feel proud."

Students from Oxford Community School will also be involved in marketing and stewarding the event on Thursday. The tents will also feature in the Cowley Road Carnival on Sunday, July 1.