PUPILS from eleven schools are busy rehearsing for the annual Wiltshire and Swindon Special Schools Festival at the Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon.

Funding from Barclays, Wherever The Need and C and JP Consulting will enable the schools to give a second matinee performance of their show for the first time in the festival's 15-year history.

Schools taking part are Downlands, Rowdeford, Burton Hill, St Nicholas in Chippenham and Uplands, Chalet, Crowdys Hill, Nylands and St Lukes in Swindon.

This week Akabella, a Bradford-on-Avon based a capella community choir, began visiting the schools to hold workshops teaching pupils songs for the show based on this year's theme of friendship.

Pupils are also writing their own songs for recording and for performing with a live band in July's show.

Akabella and rapping group CCQ have also been visiting the schools to give informal concerts for all the pupils, with special sessions for young people with profound and multiple disabilities, giving more than 500 young disabled people the opportunity to enjoy professional live music performances.

As more schools are taking part in the project, a video artist will be visiting some schools to document workshops with young people who are not able to take part in the performances because of the nature of their disabilities.

Footage of their work will be screened during the main performances at the Wiltshire Music Centre so that everyone participating can be celebrated.

Alexandra Tomkinson, audience development officer for the Wiltshire Music Centre, said: "A second matinee performance will give more family, friends and fellow pupils the chance to see the performances."