Portland's popular arts festival has kicked off celebrating the work of national and international artists.
The eclectic b-side festival 2024 runs from Thursday, September 5 to Sunday, September 8.
The theme of this year’s festival is Who Do We Think We Are? exploring themes of movement and migration which are topical to Portland since the controversial arrival of the Bibby Stockholm migrant barge.
An official launch party took place yesterday where guests got to enjoy an evening of film, poetry and an array of music. This included an exclusive premier of This Is Us, a short film by Hugh Dunford Wood in collaboration with Stephen Clarke of biggerhouse film.
There was also a live spoken word performance by Belinda Zhawi and live DJ sets from Vinyl Van and the Hoodoo Jukebox.
The festival will continue over the weekend across various sites on Portland, with many events being free of charge to ensure the celebration is accessible to all.
Amongst the festival's attractions are workshops from artist and anthropologist Liz Hingley where visitors can create unique glass prints from personal screenshots using a bespoke camera, framed in metal.
These will be in the shape of SIM cards, with the activity aiming to give tangible meaning to people’s virtual networks.
Iranian born artist and former Paralympian Mohammad Barrangi will also be reflecting his own journey from Iran to Europe through large scale murals combining elements of Persian calligraphy, old scientific illustration, storytelling, text and humour.
German-born artist Harald Smykla as he creates pecuniary portraits which are representative of the nation's increasingly diverse population.
This will involve 're-facing' real banknotes, transforming the heads of figures such as Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, and the late Queen Elizabeth 2nd, to become the face of the sitter.
Across the Island, b-side goers should look out for Fringe signs and discover hidden and not-so-hidden, creative gems on their travels.
More information about the festival can be found on its website: https://b-side.org.uk/
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