Arts Diary: Will Marriott

Bradford City of Film is inviting people from across Yorkshire to take part in the ultimate in film-making experiences by taking part in its 48-Hour Film Challenge.

The challenge, which runs from Saturday, October 30, to Monday, November 1, offers people the chance to make their own short film and see it screened at Bradford's National Media Museum.

Bradford's arts development organisation, Fabric, which is running the Challenge for City of Film, is organising a series of workshops across Yorkshire – the last of which is in Hull, on Saturday, October 16. For more details, on how to take part, contact Alissa, at Fabric, on 01274 370291.

A Sheffield Hallam University professor has used special giant units usually associated with war and emergency efforts, to create an 11metre-high, 1,300-tonne permanent sculpture in the heart of the Forest of Dean.

Artist David Cotterrell, a professor of fine art at Sheffield Hallam, completed the installation, called Hill33, after 18 days working with the 100 Field Squadron of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers to build the work at the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail.

Professor Cotterrell, who has spent more than a year working up the project, has realised one of the most ambitious land art projects in the UK.

Landfill reclaimed from Eastern United Coal Mine is contained

in HESCO Concertainer units, which are regularly used by the Army to

build shelters and large-scale defence structures in Afghanistan,

but also have civilian applications and were employed as flood barriers during the Louisiana floods.

The pyramid-like work is informed both by Professor Cotterrell's memories of Mayan temples hidden in the rainforests of Central America,

and his experiences at Camp Bastion and Sangin, Afghanistan, where he was commissioned to visit as a war artist by the Wellcome Collection in 2008.

Yorkshire-based W Hamond has teamed up with the Bram Stoker International Film Festival, taking place next weekend, to encourage visitors from across the country and the world.

The festival is rapidly becoming the largest genre film festival in the country and is fully supported by the Bram Stoker family.

W Hamond will be decorating their shops in line with the festival theme.

Saturday night sees the legendary Vampires' Ball, taking place at the Whitby Pavilion, encouraging visitors and locals to don their vampire personas and enjoy a vast range of entertainments, including burlesque acts, an illusionist, plus the haunting Millennium Choir.