AN explosion of sound and colour ignited the imaginations of thousands of people who descended on Stockton over the last four days.

GALLERY: View more pictures from Stockton International Riverside Festival

With Stockton International Riverside Festival (Sirf) drawing on the history of the friction match for some of its inspiration, the theme was brought to life through a wide variety of street theatre and stunning set pieces of drama and dance.

Organisers used the 1829 invention of Stockton's very own John Walker as the spark for this year's event and tasked short story writer, Sara Maitland, to bring the story to life.

And with the commission of Instant Light, the four-day festival used the story as the back drop for scores of illuminating performances.

Sirf 15 got off to a flying start with a breathtaking performance of BoO by Cirk Vost and culminated on Sunday night with a fire raising performance of Trinity Fire Garden by Compagnie Carabosse.

While Saturday's carnival helped to bring all the community together with a wildly colourful display of fancy dress and floats as the town centre was brought to a standstill.

One of the highlights of the festival was Love Struck by balletLORENT which brought the matchmaker's story to life through a stunning combination of ballet and circus skills.