POSITIVITY has been shining bright in Cowley over the past few weeks as a community art lantern project lights up the sky.

Community arts group the Ark T Centre have been casting the positive message of love, kindness, respect and peace by setting up the glowing letters on Castle Car Park at Templars' Square.

The positivity project is the latest scheme the Cromwell Road centre in East Oxford has staged as part of its ongoing work providing creative opportunities for the community.

Local resident Linda Blackburn said: "I have loved the art work being up, they are really striking.

"It is a great idea and nice to see something very positive being created for the community."

She added: "As far as I am aware the four words up on the top of the car park were a response to political events and it was a way of putting something positive out in the area."

The Lighting up Cowley project also marks a celebration for the Ark T Centre which this year will have been working with the community for 20 years.

The group made huge lettered lanterns in the words kindness, love, respect and peace and set them up high for everyone to see in Cowley as the first public art project of 2017.

The project was launched by a big community switch on and crowds gathered with handheld lanterns to help cast a positive glow across the community.

Ms Blackburn added: "The lanterns have been lit up throughout the evening since the project was launched [January 10] when everyone stood in a line for the switch on.

"There is just such a lovely spirit of community at the centre and it has been great for people to be able to see something positive."

The Ark T Centre has been at the heart of the East Oxford community since 1997, providing arts and music projects for residents.

It provides rehearsal space for theatre and dance performers, a concert room and art exhibitions plus hosts a number of classes and workshops.

It also includes a recording studio and has supported thousands of people since opening.

The lanterns will be taken down this week and the next project from the group is named The Positive Painting Project and will be launched at Templars Square on Saturday, February 11.