AN 'amazing' 27 organisations have applied to put on jazz, opera, drama and art at this year's re-styled Wantage Summer Arts Festival.

The new committee have asked anyone interest in being involved to email jim@wantagesummerartsfestival.com by April 15.

The festival, which faced closure earlier this year, has been taken on by the organisers of Wantage’s Opera Unmasked group.

They renamed it from Wantage Summer Festival to Wantage Summer Arts Festival and announced plans to use this year’s event to celebrate the 160th birthday of opera composer Giacomo Puccini.