For the next month young performing artists will be showcasing their skills at one of the most prestigious events in the county, the Springboard Performing Arts Festival 2006.

The mood is serious but reasonably relaxed.

A piano stands in the room with an empty chair in front of it waiting for the next musician to arrive.

An adjudicator sits nearby and behind him are rows of chairs filled with a mixture of young performers, teachers, family and friends.

One by one each pianist comes along and plays a piece of music for a maximum of three minutes. It is followed by a round of applause and the next musician comes forward to take their place.

The tension eases as the class finishes, each musician is given a critique of their performance and the person with the best performance is announced.

Clutching their certificates and medals the pianists emerge out of the hall at the Old Market in Hove where the noise levels are higher and the atmosphere buzzy.

Today is all about pianos and stringed instruments such as violins but this is only the start of what will be a major event featuring performances from children, teenagers and young adults.

Over the next month around 2,100 performers from Brighton and Hove, Haywards Heath, Shoreham, Worthing and elsewhere in Sussex will be taking part in the annual Springboard festival.

There are not only classes for pianos and violins but also guitars and wind instruments like clarinets and flutes.

Away from recitals there is music theatre and pop, speech and drama and a range of dance classes including ballet, character, tap and modern.

Classes are usually held at the weekends but some have been so popular that extra sessions have been pencilled in on Fridays and Mondays to fit everyone in.

Class sizes can range from a just a single entry to ones of more than 30 and approaching 40 which then have to be split.

For festival chairwoman Penny Charteris, who has been involved with the festival since 1972, this is a good sign.

She said: "There seems to be a resurgence of interest around at the moment. A lot of people are signing up to take part and that is excellent news.

"It is a lot of hard work but when the festival gets going there is a real buzz and a great atmosphere.

"It is not just about competition though. Something like this gives children and young people the chance to perform in front of an audience. This can really build up their confidence and is great for development."

Before joining forces with the trustees of the Old Market in the 1990s and moving into the venue in 1999, Springboard used to have its events at various locations around the city.

Now, apart from dance classes at Roedean School and the Dome, the bulk of the classes are in one location and it has gone from strength to strength.

Ms Charteris said: "It has just lifted the whole festival. Having a lovely venue like this makes such a difference."

Stephen Neiman is resident trustee of the Old Market Trust and helped arrange the lottery funding needed to get the building up and running in the 1990s.

He said: "This is the main arts event we do each year. It gets more exciting year by year and there is a lot of interest.

"This festival is such an important part of the history of the area.

There are so many people around who have either performed themselves or know of someone who performed at this festival at some point over the years.

"One of the staff in our bar who was working on Friday night was a previous performer, for example.

It is great to see so many people still interested in its future.

Old Market artistic director Caroline Brown said: "It is going fine but obviously hectic. It is lovely to see young talent shining through here.

"We are getting more and more applicants and we want to continue to build on this for future years.

"This festival is a vital opportunity for people to perform. It helps youngsters get used to the adrenalin rush as they get up in front of people and play or perform their best.

"It is not just the competitive element, though. We also have non-competitive classes so young people just go up there and do what they can. It is a great way to get experience and confidence.

Alexander Bliss, 11, came first in his Bach piano class on Saturday morning but had no time to savour his success as he had another class later than afternoon.

He said: "It was great and I was really pleased with my performance. I really enjoy performing." Alexander also plays the viola, violin and organ and has played at Westminster Abbey and Chichester Cathedral so he isn't fazed by an audience.

His mother Hazel, from Haywards Heath, said: "The best thing about this festival is the way everyone is supportive of each other.

"The children will tell each other if they did a good performance and they are very generous.

"It is not all about adding up all the marks and coming out on top.

It is how people react to each other and enjoy the atmosphere and listen and see some wonderful performances. It is a great learning curve."

Violinst Petra England, 10, from Brighton, was not performing but plans to enter next year and came along to cheer on some friends. She said: I have not been playing very long and did not think I was ready but I mean to go next year. It is a great atmosphere here and the standard has been amazing."

For details of future events for this year's festival call the Springboard office on 01273 326831.