August Bank Holiday is boasting three days of Play, Folk and Dance as Durham makes the most of the summer holidays. Viv Hardwick reports.

DURHAM’S Streets Of... series of free Summer festivals are set to fill the historic city’s streets with buskers, acrobats, street performers, dancers and musicians this Bank Holiday weekend (Saturday to Monday).

Kate James, festival organiser, says: “Audiences can expect a hugely exciting and free entertainment spectacle over three days in Durham this August. The city’s streets and main squares are ideal places for people to gather and enjoy world class street entertainment.”

The Streets of Play (Saturday) is followed by Durham’s international buskers festival, The Streets of Folk, (Sunday) an eclectic mix of the best, contemporary folk music from around the world. The Streets of Dance (Monday), is a participatory celebration of dance in all forms.

Streets of Play will have buskers, acrobats, jugglers and daredevils wowing the crowds with agility, stunts, skills and nerve.

Highlights this year include Glastonbury favourite Betty Brawn, an Australian Strongwoman, and The Black Eagles an acrobatic troupe from Tanzania who combine uplifting dance with African music and daredevil acrobatics.

Sunday’s highlight is Scottish folk supergroup The Peatbog Faeries headlining the main stage of Streets of Folk combining high octane dance with traditional Celtic jigs and reels.

Monday’s Streets of Dance heralds a return of the curious spectacle of the Quiet Riot.

People are encouraged to bring their own music on an IPOD or MP3 player and silently dance in the streets alongside hundreds of fellow music lovers. Later that afternoon, dance groups can compete for the title of Durham Streets of Dance Champions 2010 in the festival closing Dance Off.

The festivals are family friendly with several workshops available for parents with young children including the Big Moving Story during the Streets of Dance where families can explore the story of Giraffe’s Can’t Dance with a professional storyteller and a dance teacher.

The Streets Of... is part of a packed calendar of annual events which take place in Durham and is part of Festival Durham, Durham County Council’s cultural programme.

Families are advised to arrive early for workshops to avoid disappointment. There is expected to be high demand for places.

For more information and full programme log onto: streetsof.co.uk

TIMETABLES PLAY

Millennium Place

11.15 Joseph d’Amour Bouffon (France)

Will Joseph, the fool of love, pull off enough tricks to win a kiss and get the girl?.

12.00 The Black Eagles (Tanzania)

Acrobatic skills and an uplifting African musical soundtrack.

12.30 Laby (Japan)

One of Japan’s finest jugglers.

1.10 Nani Rossi (Italy)

Clown duo.

1.55 Betty Brawn (Australia)

2.35 The Black Eagles

3.05 Joseph d’Amour Bouffon

4.05 Nani Rossi

4.50 Laby

5.25 Betty Brawn

Walkergate

Throughout the day Crate Balance and Prodigal Theatre – workshops

6.00 Urban Playground

FOLK (Sunday)

Millennium Place

12.00 Dave Gray and Jim Boyle

12.30 Katie Doherty and Children

1.00 Christi Andropolis

1.30 Last Orders

2.15 Jonny Kearney and Lucy Farrell

3.10 Adrienne Young-Ramsey

4.00 The Peatbog Faeries Walkergate

5.15 Dave Gray and Jim Boyle Christi Andropolis

DANCE (Monday)

Millennium Place

1.00 Quiet Riot

1:20 Bicycle Ballet

1:45 Rapper Dance

2:05 A Flavour of Flamenco

2.25 Carnival Crew Tees Valley

2:45 Maypole Anarchy

3.00 Tango with a twist

3:15 Kathak

3:30 The Big Dance Off Walkergate

12.15 The Big Moving Story

2:00 Kids Can Dance