To mark the start of summer and a collective next step away from the pandemic, South Kesteven District Council is running a series of family arts days Arts Around Towns and Villages.

Presented over nine days, these free events will engage residents and visitors in creative activities to inspire, invigorate, educate, but - above all - bring joy through community connections.

With help from Arts Council England funding, SKDC's Arts and Cultural Services team are taking events out into the community in a bid to spread work across the district and investigate new ways of providing the arts in South Kesteven. This initiative specifically supports artists and freelancers with a programme of work to bring arts to the community.

Councillor Rosemary Trollope-Bellew, SKDC's Cabinet Member for Arts and Culture, said: "With support for Arts Council England, the Arts and Cultural Services team has been able to deliver a wonderful opportunity to work with local creative practitioners and communities across the district, bringing people together for those longed-for, face-to-face creative experiences.

"These Covid-safe events will form part of our journey to reopen SKDC's arts venues over the coming weeks and the return to live creative engagement."

The first two days were in Colsterworth and Billingborough, where the weather stayed mainly fine for performers and audiences, with the communities in each village taking part in Covid-safe ways.

The other arts days are Saturday 29 (Grantham) Sunday 30 (Bourne), Wednesday 2 June (The Deepings), Thursday 3 June (Stamford), Friday 4 June (Corby Glen), Saturday 5 June (Ancaster), and finishing on Sunday 6 June in Long Bennington.

There will be a mix of music, arts activities, dance, comedy, and performances. Events in the towns should be pre-booked at www.guildhallartscentre.com or www.stamfordartscentre.com

While at the event participants can also see a beautiful collection of SK Flags on display. These flags are the culmination of a lockdown photographic project 'Creative Colour Challenge' run by the Arts and Cultural Services team in association with Lumo Workshops last year.

More information and images of the project can be found here https://www.instagram.com/skflags/ https://www.creative-colour.co.uk/