YOUNGSTERS were given the chance to discover hidden talents at the first Creative Arts Conference.

More than 200 Year Five pupils from schools across Harwich took part in workshops organised by the Harwich Festival of the Arts at the Cliff Hotel, in Dovercourt, on Tuesday.

Among the different activities were film, popular music, visual arts, classical music, jazz and brass music and folk and traditional music.

The day started with each of the pupils starring in a dance based on the Maori war dance the haka, which has been made famous by the New Zealand rugby team.

Organisers wanted to raise the profile of the creative arts to young children and, hopefully, inspire them into taking up the arts full-time.

The idea came from last year’s Great Big Celebration of Young Harwich, when youth performers gathered at the Redoubt Fort to showcase their talents.

Festival administrator Michael Offord said: “It has been a fantastic day and we had 230 pupils from seven different schools attend throughout the day.

“All of them joined in with the haka and it really got the day off to a great start.

“Then they went out to take part in the seven different workshops – it was a really positive day."