ROCHFORD’S popular and double award-winning art trail is back for another year.

Rochford District Council and is calling on artists to apply to take part in the 2014 event, which runs for ten days from Thursday, September 18 to Saturday, September 27.

Now in its sixth year, the trail regularly hosts about 100 artists exhibiting art, craft and design in shops, businesses and public spaces around Rochford.

Visitors follow a route around the town to view and buy work from emerging and established artists.

In 2013 the trail scooped two awards at the national ‘Towns Alive’ Awards which recognise and showcase initiatives that help towns to flourish. This year also sees the introduction of the Best Venue Award which will recognise those artists and businesses who have worked together to create an eye-catching window display or exhibition inside the business premises.

Two drop-in information events for artists are being held at the Adult Learning College, Roche Way, Rochford tomorrow (14 May) at 6pm and on Thursday, (15 May) at 11am.

Artists have until Thursday, May 22 to apply. Application forms are available by contacting the Arts Development Officer on 01702 318171 or arts@rochford.gov.uk

They can also be downloaded by visiting www.rochford.gov.uk/arttrail For more information on the Rochford Art Trail, visit www.facebook.com/Rocharttrail and follow @rochford_arts on Twitter.

The Rochford Art Trail is a partnership project between Open Arts, Essex Adult Community Learning at Rochford and Rochford District Council Arts Development. The trail is sponsored by Virgin Active.