A new musical adventure to take place in Victoria Park during the month of July promises to stimulate young children and introduce them to live music.

Fashioned after the Children's Day Art Park programme in Austin, Tx. the backdrop for Bermuda's `Art in the Park' summer programme will also be music.

While there will be non-stop musical performances and children will also be able to enjoy a variety of arts and crafts activities including clay, painting and colouring.

The event, which is sponsored by the new charity Art Start, is free and children from one month to 10 years of age are invited.

The weekday and one weekend session, which will begin at 9.30 a.m. and end at noon, will take place on July 5, 12, 19 and 29.

Shelly Hamill, the event's organiser attended the Austin Children's Day Art Park last year with her daughter and immediately felt such an event would be beneficial to Bermuda families as well.

And she encouraged local musicians to participate in the programmes and donate their time, saying young children in Bermuda have few opportunities to gain exposure to live music.

Ms Hamill, who is planning future events for Art Start, also quoted an article in MuSICA's Research Notes which said: "Music is widely believed to have many benefits for children beyond those within the realm of music itself. These benefits are thought to contribute importantly to development by improving intellectual, motor, social abilities and skills,''.

Children attending one of the days will arrive to the sound of music and be greeted at the gate by a `costumed character.' They will then be able to enjoy a `musical petting zoo' and a thirty-minute musical performance before settling in to some arts and crafts activities-clay,painting and colouring.