The Street Festival has invited numerous local actors to develop special roving characters with great success, as well as creating opportu- nities for visual artists, dancers, improvisers and performance artists in the context of a large public event. Diversity is an essential part of the Festival s celebratory atmosphere, says Shelley. There are many interesting artists that can flourish on the street if we provide the right opportunities - artists who stimulate lots of interaction or create visual delight. It s one of the things that makes our festival unique. The growth has been amazing, says Shelley.
Kids are out in full force at our Festival.
There s a real need for age-specific programming. It s magic, seeing how people react to the Festival performers, says Shelley. The Street Performers Festival also produces indoor variety perform- ances like Women in Comedy and Late Night Madness, nurturing the theatrical work of street artists. It s a special feeling, laughing for 10 days, she says. But that s what we do.