As the man charged with bringing together an event showcasing the talents of local people and some international stars he's had his work cut out.

But after months of preparation he's done Garforth Arts Festival proud, securing a line-up which would make much bigger, more established festivals green with envy.

Topping the bill is Courtney Pine, a world renowned saxophonist and one of a small band of jazz musicians to have carved out a niche for himself as a household name.
He's accompanied by Kate Rusby, whose name is similarly familiar, particularly among the folk music fraternity who view her as an unadulterated star.

So just how did Evans secure such big names?
"I asked them," he said. "Which I think surprises a few people, but all
I did was ask them outright and they simply said yes.

"I think there's this perception that they're big stars in the celebrity sense but they're not, they're stars because they're really gifted musicians who work hard.

"But they're also in touch with the people that appreciate what they do and they're steeped in the festival tradition and I think that's why they were happy to take part.

"And it's going to be amazing to see them up there on stage alongside local people and children, that's the whole point of the festival really."

He also admits they were probably attracted by the ethos of the festival, which runs until July 7 with a spectacular finale, The Playground Party, which will see all the performers take to the stage.

The aim of the event, which is the creation of Evans, community arts co-ordinator at Garforth Community College, is to bring the arts to an area which doesn't always enjoy the same facilities as other parts of Leeds.

It began three years ago with the same mix of community work combined with established artists playing side by side on stage and co-operating
on numerous projects with local schools.

Only then the line-up wasn't quite as impressive as it is today.
"We want to keep building the reputation up and up and I already have some big stuff lined up for next year," said Evans.

"People laugh at me sometimes, or don't quite get what I'm trying to do but we're a very ambitious festival and so far we've succeeded by sticking our neck out.

"What we want to achieve is that synergy between local people, schoolchildren and artists along with famous names.

"And why shouldn't they all perform together? We want to make everything as accessible as possible for everybody."

The festival has so far seen arts fans book tickets from across the country – they've even had one international booking from New South Wales in Australia.