THE Purbeck Art Weeks Festival (PAW), which promises to be bigger than ever this year, is on target to start next Saturday.

Local children have made a dinosaur sculpture, which will be unveiled on Swanage Beach on May 23 to mark the start of the fortnight-long event.

More than 100 artists are already confirmed, and a full programme of activities are set to take place at a range of venues across Purbeck. The festival will also include private artist's studios being specially opened-up to the public.

This year's theme is 'Out of the Depths' which organisers says gives 'plenty of scope for artistic imaginations to run riot on dinosaurs, local history and myths, and creatures from the sea.'

Festival spokesman Charlotte Heath suggested: "Enjoy Purbeck Arts Weeks by train this year. You can take Swanage Railway's historic train from Norden Station - where you can easily park your car.

"Here you can go down a ball clay mine shaft, and explore their new exhibition of open air sculpture.

"Next you can stop off in Corfe Castle with all its galleries and artist's open studios.

"You can then continue your journey to Swanage where you will find a range of galleries and artist's studios and delicious teas and lunches by the sea - or you can start the other way around of course."

As well as the visual arts, this year the festival is welcoming back members of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and the vocal group Fieri Consort.

Two free main exhibitions run throughout the festival's duration, at Rollington Barn and at Durlston Castle's Fine Foundation Gallery.

On the opening Saturday morning, visitors can also explore the art of stone carving at the PAW open studio exhibition at Burngate Stone Carving Centre, Langton Matravers.

A spokesman explained: "Local young people have been helped and supported to design and create a significant sculpture in local stone.

"The project has created an obelisk with four faces, each carrying three stone carved panels.

"The twelve panels have been carved by pupils from The Swanage School, the scouts and the girl guides. The finished work stands on a stone plinth and is over six feet tall."

PAW Festival takes place from May 23 until June 7.

Visit purbeckartweeks.co.uk for full information. Free festival brochures and events programmes are available at Durlston Castle, and Wareham and Swanage tourist information centres.