SCHOOLCHILDREN will star in the annual Tolpuddle Festival by re-enacting the tale of six labourers who helped establish the trade union movement.

They will be performing in 'From A Spark To A Flame' - a colourful new drama which premiered in London's West End and tells the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, who were transported to Australia in 1834 for forming a trade union.

The Martyrs, who all came from Tolpuddle, near Dorchester, were later granted a full pardon by the British Government and arrived back home three years later to a heroes' welcome from the villagers.

'From A Spark To A Flame' is part of a yearly festival and rally staged by the Trade Union Congress in Tolpuddle, to celebrate the Martyrs' collective courage and vision, as well as the formation of trade unions.

More than 10,000 people from all over the country are expected to attend the event, which takes place over Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21, and offers a mixture of music, entertainment, family fun and political speeches.

Music at the festival is provided by the controversial singer-songwriter Billy Bragg and a Latin American dance band, CoCo Xpress.

Speeches will be made by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Estelle Morris, and TUC General Secretary, John Monks.

The regional secretary for the South West TUC, Nigel Costley, said: "Every year this event gets bigger and better.

"The trade union movement today is more vibrant than it ever has been - and this fantastic event reflects that."

The South West TUC's press officer Tim Lezard said: "The Tolpuddle Martyrs inspired thousands of people to oppose injustice at work, and were the forefathers of trade unionism as we know it today.

"It is impossible to overstate how crucial they were to the development of trade unions.

"They pioneered peaceful protests in the workplace and, to some extent, their struggle still goes on today - except unionists don't get sent to Australia any more."

The event is free, although there is a £2 car parking charge.

Visitors who would like to attend the CoCo Xpress concert will have to pay £10.