A SELECTION of postcard-sized art with the theme of ‘Homeland ‘will be for sale by secret auction on Friday, October 11 6.30pm – 9pm, Saturday, October 12th 10am – 5pm and Sunday, October 13th from 10am – 4pm.

The exhibition will be held in the Ilkley Arts studio in Castle Yard, Ilkley (next door to the Manor House).

Jilly Cooper, Alan Titchmarsh, Tim Peake and Michael Palin are amongst the celebrities that

have contributed a postcard to the auction. The proceeds of the sale will support Refugee Action as well as Ilkley Arts. The postcards won’t be labelled so you will have to decide which is by Alan, Jilly or Tim or by a talented local artist.

“We have been delighted with the response from celebrities to support our work and the work of Refugee Action,” said Jo Tinker, one of the auction’s organisers.

Each postcard will have a number. Those that want to place a bid fill in a bidding slip with the number of the postcard they want to bid on, the amount they want to pay for it and their contact details. When a bid is made the price will be displayed next to the postcard, so viewers know that they need to bid higher if they want that particular piece of art. There is no online bidding - you have to been at the exhibition to see what the highest bid is. The highest bid wins at 5pm on Sunday and the artist/celebrity who created the postcard will be revealed.

A list of the postcard creators will be on display at the exhibition but no one will know which card belongs to who.

Refugee Action’s vision is that refugees and asylum seekers will be welcome in the UK. They will get justice, live free of poverty and be able to successfully rebuild their lives.

llkley Arts is a registered charity whose mission is to promote and celebrate the arts in Ilkley and surrounding areas to enrich the lives of residents and visitors.