THE Creative Coathanger festival got under way yesterday, a new event which bids to show off the region's cultural delights.

Among the guests at the Grapevine restaurant in Galashiels, were VisitScotland bosses, local councillors and Borders MP Calum Kerr who kicked off the show.

He said: "You just have to look at all the talent we have in all aspects of life in the Borders, and my only frustration is that we don't shout about ourselves enough and we don't talk about ourselves enough.

"We need to talk about what we want to be, not just what we're being. 

"And what I think is fantastic about this project is we're starting to put a vehicle together that will empower us to do that. To shout about ourselves and show people what we're capable of. And this is just the beginning."

"The Creative Coathanger will allow us to hang all of the amazing things we have to offer and show them to the world," he added.

Mark Timmins, one of the festival directors said: "Nine months ago we were all sat in the MacArts Centre and we all said we could do this.

"Everybody went away feeling inspired. And I said why don't we do something creative rather than talk about it.

"Then we came up with this mad idea of the Creative Coathanger, partly because of the textile and fashion industry in the Borders. 

"But you can hang things off coathangers, so we made a list of all the positive things in the Borders and here we are nine months later."

Many of the events will be free and the team has brought together a huge range of events, exhibitions, film showcases, open studios, exclusive one-off pop-up shops, workshops, performances, and even a craft beer festival – all under one banner.

The full programme can be found at: http://www.creativecoathanger.org/