THERE is plenty of half-term fun for all ages at Helmsley Arts Centre this week.

On Friday, children can Make a Mosaic Arabian Star with artist Jane Redfern in a morning workshop, and then stay on to watch the award-winning theatre company Story Pocket Theatre, whose family show Arabian Nights won the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Primary Times Award last year.

Meet Sheherazade, the greatest storyteller of them all. She has a feast of adventures and fantasies to tell involving genies, villains, heroes and princesses. Come and enjoy Ali Baba’s encounter with the 40 thieves along with Aladdin and his lamp, the Little Beggar and the Fisherman and the Genie. Be transported to a wonderful world of mysterious marvels and tales retold with music, puppetry, comedy and theatrical splendour in this superb new adaptation.

On Friday evening the Friends of Helmsley Arts Centre are running the annual Friends' Quiz which is open to anyone and helps to raise funds for the centre. Come in teams of four or join a team on the evening.

A Firm of Poets are offering a poetry night with a twist when they visit Helmsley Arts Centre on Saturday.

The group of four poets will not only be performing a mixture of spoken word pieces, but are also encouraging budding poets to appear on stage for the first time.

The Firm will be holding a workshop on the afternoon of the performance offering local poets advice and techniques on how to perfect their craft. They will then be invited to perform in front of an audience during the show that evening.

Ralph Dartford, a founding member of A Firm of Poets, said: “The firm have been performing for a while but this is the first time we have involved the audience in this way.

"We can’t wait to meet budding poets in the workshops before the show and help them perform in front of an audience on the night.”

For tickets, phone the box office on 01439 771700 or go online at helmsleyarts.co.uk