Arts and culture 'Festival of Colours' returns to Barrow

A colourful spectacle of Spring traditions from across the world will be celebrated in Barrow this March.

BarrowFull’s annual Festival of Colours returns on Saturday, March 23, promising a taste of international arts and culture as well as entertainment from closer to home.

And back by popular demand is the colour-throwing Holi where everyone can get messy in the Town Square.  

Now in its third year, The Festival of Colours is free and suitable for all ages. It takes place at Barrow Town Hall, Town Square and The Forum.

Local people’s ideas have helped to shape the event which will feature performances, creative workshops, live music and more.

Delilah the Elephant, a walkabout puppet, gives a nod to the Thai Songkran tradition, and Persian live music and dance by Company Scheherazade celebrates the Iranian New Year. A gentle selection of traditional Japanese songs will be performed on the Japanese harp to mark the cherry blossom season.

A range of creative workshops will include Bollywood and Afro-Brazilian Dance sessions, and Dancing with Colour for early years.

And there will be plenty of opportunities to try a variety of arts activities from Bulgarian Martenitsa bracelet making and South Asian lantern making and block printing to clay sculpting for anyone aged 12 plus by Cumbrian artist, Jocelyn McGregor, and East Asian papercraft by Korean artist, Woo Jin Joo. Visitors can have henna tattoos and their faces painted too.

Audiences can also enjoy a story with Taffy Thomas; music by South Lakes Rock School Choir and Boom Dang’s All Stars community drumming band, plus Anyone for Tennis? a comedy street performance from the Fairly Famous Family.

And Barrow’s very own homegrown DJs will play fresh, upbeat playlists all day in the Town Square as Horizon Studios present their Spring Sounds Takeover.

The event finale will be the Holi coloured-powder throwing, which will paint both the Town Square and Barrovians with a kaleidoscope of colours as the event comes to a close.

In the evening, BarrowFull and the Forum are hosting Barrow’s Spring Fling by the ceilidh band, Ceithir, at The Forum, doors open at 7pm. Tickets for the ceilidh priced £10 and £5 concessions can be booked at The Forum box office or online at  Home - The Forum Barrow  

BarrowFull’s Creative Director, Daniel Tyler-McTighe, said: “Spring is a time of looking forward to new life and new experiences and our Festival of Colours brings the world to Barrow’s doorstep, making memories which remain all year round. It’s a celebration of diverse arts and culture too good to miss.”

The Festival of Colours is produced in partnership with the Forum (Westmorland & Furness Council), is sponsored by BAE systems, and supported by Barrow Town Council.

For more information, visit barrowfull.org.uk