DOZENS of students are helping to create the floats and lanterns that will illuminate the streets of Oxford's for the annual Christmas Light Festival.

Pupils at Cheney School in Headington have this week been busy putting the finishing touches to two floats, ready for the opening parade of the festival on Friday, November 17.

Led by Bampton-based artist Paul Batten, the students have been creating a hot air balloon and a golden compass, inspired by Oxford's literary heritage.

The theme for this year's festival is 'The World in Oxford’, exploring identity and journeys to the city.

The hot air balloon is inspired by Jules Verne's novel 'Around The World in 80 Days' and represents journeys to the city.

The compass is from Cumnor author Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, which creates a parallel world based in Oxford.

Once finished, the floats will join others, including a bicycle from 'The Boy Who Biked The World' by Alastair Humphreys, to head through the streets of the city centre in a display of hundreds of lamps and lanterns.

Festival organisers have been working with schools and community groups across the city, including Cheney, Oxford Spires Academy in East Oxford and a group learning English in Blackbird Leys, to help build the floats over the past couple of weeks.

Mr Batten, a professional puppet maker, has been designing the floats since September.

They are made from bamboo sticks and papier mache and painted by hand.

Amy Pendry, the outreach co-ordinator for the festival, said she wants to get as many people as possible involved in creating the floats.

She said: "We're a festival for all of Oxford and we want as many people as possible to participate in making it happen.

"It's a really nice way to help the students develop new skills.

"They can then show off what they have done in the parade."

For the first time this year spectators will be able to watch the parade from the new Westgate Centre alongside the long-standing spectator zones in Cornmarket Street and Queen Street.

Dozens of other events are being held across the weekend including carole concerts and art sessions.

A 'pendulum wave machine' will be set up in the Castle Quarter to demonstrate light wave forms.

The festival is also holding a drop-in free lantern making workshop at the Key Learning Centre in Oxford Castle on Saturday, November 18, for children who didn't get a chance to participate in school.

The session starts at noon with the last entry at 3.30pm.

For more details on the festival visit oxfordschristmas.com