A NEW youth arts festival organised by young people, for young people is coming to Newport's Riverfront Theatre this week.

From short films to live music and from fashion shows to plays, RawFfest will embrace all sorts of art forms.

The festival, which will start on Thursday and finish on Sunday, will welcome youngsters from across Wales in Newport.

Twenty-one-year-old Sophie Coward, from Maindee, is one of RawFfest's organisers.

She said: “It’s so exciting, there has been nothing like it before in Wales.

“We’re the first arts festival for young people organised by young people. It’s so innovative.

“We’ll have all sorts of art forms, so it’ll be very special.”

Daniel Austin, a 23-year-old from Cwmbran who studied advertising and design at the University of South Wales, has been working on marketing and design.

He said: “The arts industry is so competitive, so this gives us a chance to organise things, rather than just taking part on them.

“It will be good to see how we can inspire change and build young people’s confidence.”

One of Mr Austin’s colleagues is Andrew Ogun, an 18-year-old teenager from Somerton. He has been working on the logo and the website, and then curating the programme.

He said: “We all talked about what we would like to have and that’s how we ended with a fashion day, a music day and that.

“Groups from across Wales submitted their ideas to us and then we chose what we liked the most.

“I’m looking forward to the fashion show because I’ll be showing my own collection.”

RawFfest's director Ruth Garnault said: “RawFfest is the product of some of our finest Welsh arts organisations coming together to reach new, younger audiences.

“I’m incredibly excited about the programme, the standard of acts and performers as well as the variety of talent on display.

“Flash mobs, workshops, music, dance, theatre, visual art, and everything in between has been covered.”

To find out more about RawFfest or to book your tickets, visit tickets.newportlive.co.uk/default.aspx or call 01633 656757.

A ticket for the full weekend, including meals and accommodation, is £50. A day ticket is £15.