AN INNOVATIVE art event celebrating the creativity Newport has to offer will hit the city this weekend.

The weekend-long Art on the Hill event will see a trail of music, painting, performance and other artwork strewn across the NP20 area of the city.

The event arranged by artists Sarah Goodey and Kate Mercer runs throughout the weekend.

Among attractions will be a live music and art performance at St Woolos Cathedral combining visuals with sound, as well as a number of events at the Cwtsh in Stow Hill and St Mark's Church in Gold Tops.

Ms Goodey said a "huge" number of artists, businesses and venues had asked about getting involved since the volunteer-run event was first announced.

"We've have had so much support from business and organisations and we want to include everybody," she said. "We didn't want to say no to anyone."

She added: "It's a whole weekend of events and there will be different things on Saturday and Sunday so, if people can't see something on Saturday, there will be other things they can enjoy on Sunday."

"This is the first time, as far as we know, there has been an art trail in Newport for some time.

"It's an experiment so we'll see how it goes and hopefully we will be able to built on it in the future."

One of the events which took place this morning was a family craft challenge in Newport Museum and Art Gallery.

Children and their families were invited to take part in designing, building and decorating their own model bridge. 

Claire Turner, events and activities development officer at Newport City Council held the sessions today which began at 11.30am.

She said: "Through our contact with the organisers of Art on the Hill we decided to put on a family crafts session. We do this regularly throughout half term. The session is about building bridges and ties in with our transporter bridge exhibition downstairs. 

"It reminds people of how important the transporter bridge is and its heritage.

"It's a bit of family time, a bit of craft time and we have had a lot of children come along and join in so far. 

"We've had some very ambitious children and onev family created their own version of the transporter bridge so they created their own gondola and everything.

"It's been very enjoyable and successful."

Other venues already signed up to take part include the city's new Escape Rooms attraction below the indoor market, which will display artworks, the market itself, and Le Pub at its new location in High Street, which will host live drawing on Saturday and a screening of a film about city artist Jon Sherwood on Sunday.

Meanwhile, some artists in the area will open up their own homes to visitors, while the SHARE Centre in Stow Hill, the Rogue Fox coffee shop in Clytha Park Rd, Diverse Vinyl in Charles Street and others will also be hosting exhibitions and performances, with more to be finalised.

For more information visit facebook.com/AOTH.NP20 or email artonthehillnewport@gmail.com