THE first Ealing Autumn Festival will last for two weeks and is being held in venues across the borough.

Launched by West London Arts Scene with the aim of attracting young people to the arts, the festival's theme is Tolstoy's War and Peace and the complete songs of Balakirev, but it also includes a diverse array of events in music, literature, visual art, film, dance and food.

It is the first festival in a series being planned between now and 2012, the year of the London Olympics.

Among the talented musicians taking part are the internationally acclaimed Russian pianist, Dmitri Alexeev, chamber music pianist Daniel Adni, Voskresenije (a chamber choir from St Petersburg), the Szabo Piano Trio and Corinne Morris and Gillian Spragg, who are artistic directors of West London Arts Scene.

Stephen Pound MP will lead the final section of a live reading of Tolstoy's War and Peace at Ealing Town Hall on October 31.

Ms Spragg said she hoped young people would not only come to the events but actively take part with stories or pictures inspired by a line drawing (right), a self-portrait by Moscow composer

Dmitri Kabalevsky, some of whose work will be performed during the festival.

Ms Spragg said: "We want to encourage young people to get used to the idea of going out to a performance rather than sitting in front of a computer screen."

Organisations and individuals supporting and participating in the festival are Ealing Abbey, Da Rocha Pastorale, Andrew Lyle, Pisces Players, St Barnabas Church, St Benedict's School, St Mary's Church, South Ealing, St Mary's Players, St Matthew's Church, Ealing Common, Thames Valley University and West London Sinfonia. * For details of all the events between

October 16 and 31, go to www.ealing autumnfestival.co.uk.

Contributions of work can be sent to The Ealing Autumn Festival, 76 Milton Road, W7 1LE.