IT’S a hard life being a stand-up comedian for children. So hard that funnyman Mark Jones is training new recruits to help him through his show at Barra Hall Park in Hayes. Mark’s Comedy Academy began at Hayes Methodist Church today (Wednesday) and will culminate with an open air performance by the man himself on Saturday.

Youngsters aged five to 13 are taking part and many will join him on stage for thrills and giggles in front of a pint-sized audience.

Mark’s show is unique. The father-of-two from Ickenham has dedicated years to making children laugh and has packed out shows at the Beck in Hayes and The Wycombe Swan. He has described his comedy as relevant to anyone aged from five to 105, and constantly evolving.

It will be a chance for his pupils to demonstrate the rib-tickling skills they have learned at the academy, which involves each youngster coming up with their own five-minute routine.

The Barra Hall Park show is part of Artsweek – seven days when the borough’s talent on and off stage is promoted at a host of venues, including theatres, libraries and parks.

It started on Saturday but still to come is a performance by Hillingdon U3A choir, the launch of an anthology of work by local authors, numerous craft and art exhibitions and, of course, Mark’s show, which begins at 3pm on Saturday.

Also running is Open Studios, a project which sees artists in the borough open their doors to curious crowds. There will be pottery, sculptures, paintings and prints on display.

Uxbridge potter Sue Frankel will be taking part from her studio in Norton Road.

She said: “It will be nice to have it as part of Artsweek and hopefully we will be able to attract a good number of people interested in what we do.”

Sue, who also plays bassoon with BBC Symphony Orchestra, has been making pots for the last 10 years.

She said: “I started going to evening classes and got hooked on it.

“I have always made stuff, my parents encouraged me to be very crafty.

“My house is full of pottery.”

But it has not always been easy. She described how she was quite slow to pick up the skill at first but persevered despite her frustration.

She hopes that opening up her home-based studio this week will encourage others to do the same.

Sculptors Garry Boatman and Colin Hoppe, whose studio at Colin’s house in Lavender Rise, West Drayton, has been open for part of the week-long project, agreed.

Colin is blind and makes lots of remarkably expressive, “touchy feely” pieces.

He said: “Everyone’s got a a little bit of talent inside them. I just want people to embrace that and enjoy it.

“This week people will come to the gallery and the kids can play on the sculptures and people can have a go at things.”

Fellow artist Garry sometimes collaborates with Colin but often creates his own pieces and is regularly commissioned to make items such as porcelain figurines.

He added: “Artsweek is a great event really as it gets people into the place. We often get the same people and have developed quite a following over the years.

“I’ve been doing this for about 45 years and it’s nice to have events like this, get some recognition and get people involved.”

For a full list of Artsweek events, log on to: www.hillingdon.gov.uk.