Stormtroopers and Daleks will be 'providing extra protection' as artists and craftspeople come together for a special event at the Carriage Works. 

Swindon Open Studios is hosting a family fun day on Saturday, September 21 with Mark and Anna Enright of Podpadstudios set to take over the entire Carriage Works space with their collection of life-size film props and exhibits. 

People will be able to meet a Terminator-inspired Robot T-1-FNY, a steampunk Dalek, Doctor Who's K9, R2D2 droids, animatronic dragons and a life-sized Batmobile. 

A Family Fun Day kicks off the opening of the exhibition at 11am with children invited to come dressed as their favourite Sci-fi character, in the spirit of a "Comicon" event.

Other artists will also be there with paintings, pottery, digital art, photography and jewellery.

Artists displaying paintings in oils, acrylics, watercolours and multimedia include Abigail Wheatley, Andi Theokle, Angela van Oss, Charlotte Abraham, Chris Daw, Deborah Harris-Palmer, Jan Tucker, Chris Miles ProperGander Art, painters and sculptors John Webb and Rhona Jack will also be joined by pottery and ceramic sculptors Julie Smith, Theresa Dowdeswell, Studio 28 and Lisa Lowe. 

Also exhibiting are artographer Michell Whitmore who combines photography with digital artistry, Peapod photography which makes large-scale wall art, digital artist Trevor Hancock, textile and multi-media specialist Sue Adamson and Spellbound Arts and Bakes which makes jewellery and greetings cards. 

Swindon New College students will be demonstrating Media Make-Up in the Create Studios building which is a film production training company for young people.

Dinky Press and Zozo Thomas will display their children’s educational books by the Café.

On top of this, the event will have additional security prompted by the theft of the Banksy artwork 'Howling Wolf' that saw him stencil a woof onto a satellite dish in London, so Stormtroopers from MK Garrison will be on hand to keep watch - and to raise money for the Prospect Hospice. 

Swindon Open Studios has 130 participants in 56 different venues in and around Swindon this year. The event at The Carriage Works presents a once-only opportunity for artists to exhibit together in this iconic space.

After the exhibition, builders will begin a £1 million renovation as part of the Swindon regeneration scheme designed to encourage business start-ups, science, innovation and the arts in this Heritage Quarter.

Entry is free and the Swindon Open Studios exhibition is running on the weekends of September 21 and 22 and September 28 and 29.