THE 10 Parishes Festival returns for its biennial visit from this weekend, Saturday, September 7. Over nine days, visual and performing arts will be celebrated in and around Wiveliscombe with over 60 artists participating.

The theme of the festival is reuse and recycle and artists can choose whether to reflect this. Some artists open their home studios so that visitors can experience the creative background and environment whilst others are participating in collective exhibitions at larger venues.

Animal Art

St Lukes Mission Church at Langley Marsh will host three artists specialising in animal art. Innes Davis will exhibit watercolour paintings of local landscapes and wildlife, along with animal portraits.

Sculptor Melanie Deegan and painter, author and illustrator Jill Newton team up to present a colourful collection of animal related art, from prancing horses to dancing dogs.

Folkbeard Fantasy

Forkbeard Fantasy have previously featured a variety of surreal performance art at the 10 Parishes Festival. They return again as The Brittonioni Brothers at Kingsmead Community School. Slithering from reel to real, the fabulously brylcreemed, jet setting, film-director Brothers present a sizzling medley of filmic gems from their 45-year oeuvre.

The New Oxford Consort

Wellhayes Vineyard will once again feature as a live music venue, hosting The New Oxford Consort on September 14 at 7.30pm. This vocal ensemble comprises some of the finest young singers from Oxford and will perform a varied programme of unaccompanied choral music spanning 500 years.

Live music will also feature throughout market day in Wiveliscombe on Sunday, September 8 in Jubilee Gardens, bringing atmosphere to the excitement of the main street being closed off and filled with stalls. The popular carnival procession will take place at 3pm.

The 10 Parishes Festival runs from 7 until 15 September. For a full list of participants, venues and events see www.10parishesfestival.org.uk