Performers from across the globe are set to take to the streets to bring a taste of one of the region’s most popular and long-running international festivals to Darlington.
This year is the 55th Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance (10-18 August), where dance and cultures of the world unite as the event showcases the diversity and richness of traditional and contemporary cultures through dance, music, songs, costumes and crafts.
The festival includes performances, parades, exhibitions and workshops featuring more than 300 performers from around the world, and the UK.
As part of this year’s festival, there will also be special performances in Darlington’s Market Square on Monday and Tuesday, 12 and 13 August, starting at 1pm each day.
Monday’s programme will feature performers from the Uslan High School of Arts (traditional), from South Korea; Folk Ensemble Šarišan, from Slovakia and Fundacion Danza Libre Bogota, from Colombia.
On Tuesday, performances will feature the Uslan High School of Arts (contemporary), from South Korea; Ensemble Bagrati, from Georgia and Grupo Folklorico ‘Costa Rica’, from Costa Rica.
Paul Howell, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for leisure and local environment, said:
“We’re thrilled to be able to welcome some of the international performers taking part in this year’s festival to entertain our local residents and shoppers in the town centre.
“This is just one of a packed programme of summer events to help bring more people into Darlington to enjoy all it has to offer.”
Olga Maloney, artistic director for Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance, added:
“We are delighted that the international visiting dance companies from our festival will be performing in Darlington, bringing colour, music, dance and joy into the town centre. We hope that visitors to the town centre will enjoy the performances and come to see our festival.”
For more details about events in Darlington visit www.darlington.gov.uk/events and for more information about Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance log onto www.billinghamfestival.co.uk