A NATIONAL campaign to encourage creative skills in young people will culminate at one of Yorkshire’s biggest public craft shows.

Organisers of the Knitting & Stitching Show, which annually attracts about 25,000 people to Harrogate International Centre (HIC), say they hope to halt the sharp decline in school pupils taking up creative subjects.

The four-day show, which runs from Thursday November 20, will invite visitors to join a huge gathering of knitters and sewers sharing their skills in activities designed to inspire crafting among all ages.

Show organiser, Jonathan Burton said there had been a 15 per cent increase in visitors to the Harrogate show and its sister events around the UK, over the past 12 months.

He said: “We are committed to giving people the know-how to develop their skills and have been amazed by the response we have had to people wanting to pass their skills on to others at the show. It’s a chance for everyone to have a go at something completely new in a positive and supportive environment.”

Alana Barney, chairman of the Yorkshire Country Women’s Association, said: “We are delighted to be part of this new initiative, sharing a broad selection of our members’ skills with visitors to the show.

“There are centuries-old skills that have been passed from generation to generation that are in danger of being lost so this gives us a chance to encourage a whole new generation to get involved.”

Show highlights include sessions bringing together needlework experts. The Great British PicKnit will see visitors invited to join the UK Hand Knitting Association as they inspire newcomers to try knitting and crochet. Meanwhile the Skill Exchange is the place where expert quilters, braiders or even loom band makers can spend time teaching or learning from their fellow visitors.

For 2014 the show will also host a large collection of work from leading textile artists in 23 professionally curated galleries, along with a showcase of work by recent textile graduates.