A KEIGHLEY arts charity is in the running for a national award.

Keighley Creative has been shortlisted in the inaugural New Statesman Positive Impact Awards.

It is among five contenders vying for an accolade recognising impact on the high street.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, London, in December.

Keighley Creative – based in Hanover Street – hosts exhibitions and events, and stages the town's annual arts and film festival.

It also provides studio space and works on educational projects with communities, Keighley College and schools.

And in May this year it hosted K-Town Shopper, a weekend of events that transformed the town centre with retro retail experiences.

Susan Mendoza, chair of Keighley Creative, says: "We are delighted to be shortlisted for these inaugural awards.

"This highlights the work of Keighley Creative to not only support local artists and engage our communities but also make a positive change to our town, the high street and indeed all other areas of Keighley."

The arts and film festival, held earlier this month, saw hundreds of people from across the district and further afield converge on the town.

More than 40 activities were staged, at a range of venues, over three days.

Highlights included a lantern parade at Cliffe Castle Park, a performance of Sufi music by the renowned Qaiser Mahmood Qawwali Group, and a peace meal at Keighley Shared Church.

The peace meal event included a screening of Ruth & Safiya, which follows an unlikely friendship between Ruth – an isolated pensioner who visits her allotment daily – and Safiya, a teenage Syrian refugee struggling to adapt to a new life in Bradford.

There was a sell-out Royal Arcadians subterranean tour of the Low Street shopping area, and the Peace Artists entertained.

Vacant units in the Airedale Shopping Centre and Royal Arcade were transformed into pop-up 'Drawing Boxes', where people could add their own artwork to walls.

There was stand-up comedy, music and production workshops and spoken word performances, and Good Food Keighley and the Healthy Growth Initiative provided free meals at the Hanover Street hub.

In addition to the Positive Impact on the High Street Award, the New Statesman accolades also include categories covering energy, transport, environment, technology, finance and healthcare.

Further information about the awards, and the other shortlisted entries, can be found at newstatesman.com.

For more about Keighley Creative, visit keighleycreative.org.