THOUSANDS of children are preparing to create a sea of colour as they parade through the city.

Some 5,000 children from schools across Brighton and Hove will be taking part in the annual Children’s Parade on Saturday to mark the start of Brighton Festival.

Each school will present their pupils’ costumes, music and carnival structures to match the theme of the painting they were allocated earlier this year while walking through the streets.

Pippa Smith, Brighton Festival’s children and family programmer, said: “We were so impressed by the way that schools took their poems to heart last year and we believe that the same will happen with the paintings.

“This in-depth exploration of a work of art is something that most people don’t have the opportunity to do until they go to art school.”

The schoolchildren had to study and explore the details of the painting they were given by organisers to come up with ideas for the parade.

A different theme is chosen for the event each year and previous parades have seen children dressed up as everything from letters of the alphabet to the Prince Regent and Fat Boy Slim.

This year’s theme, paintings, was chosen to coincide with visual artist David Shrigley being appointed as guest director for the festival.

Mr Shrigley is best known for his distinctive style of drawing which often shows his satirical take on modern society and cultural changes.

Thousands of spectators are expected to line the streets to watch the parade.

The event has been co-produced by festival organisers and community arts group Same Sky, supported by Yeomans Toyota Brighton.

The procession will start in Robert Street at 10.30am and will finish in Madeira Drive.