Schools are being invited to get in the picture for next year’s Keighley Festival.

Students can paint life-size portraits of kings and queens from British history for the revamped festival.

The paintings are the latest annual Schools Challenge organised by festival leading-light Malcolm Hanson.

In past years students have built life-size models for the popular Madame Two-Swords “waxworks” exhibition.

Mr Hanson said: “When all the portraits are completed they will be exhibited on an Art Trail to be created around the town centre.

“Any monarch — from 1066 to the present day — can be represented and the portraits do not have to be paintings only. They can be made of mosaic, coloured paper, even feathers.

“The schools can decide,” he said.

Mr Hanson said up to 15 schools would receive a canvas measuring about six feet by four feet.

He said: “Schools which want to take part need to get in touch straight away to safeguard their place.”

Mr Hanson said he was asking for the portraits to be of a high standard, to match his own picture of Queen Elizabeth I, which has already taken him two months’ work.

Next year’s festival, which will be held during the summer, is being renamed Keighley Festival of Art, Sport, Music and Dance.

Mr Hanson can be contacted on 01756 798730 or by email at malcolm.b.hanson.gmail.com.