EAGER participants in Salisbury Festival’s big community event,  Patch’s Parade, went along to Salisbury Playhouse for a day of free workshops early in March. The community play will be performed at Churchill Gardens, following in the sucessful footsteps of 2023’s The Tempest. The discovery day, which runs from 10.30am, also welcomes volunteers for puppeteering and chaperoning the parade.

The Salisbury International Arts Festival 2024 will run from Sunday 26th May to Sunday 9th June, beginning with the return of City Encounters.

The festival will be launched with the City Encounters weekend, a free community event, which will begin with Patch’s Parade. Patch is a Giant who lives beneath Milford Street Bridge but dreams of venturing out into the exciting city of Salisbury to meet other Giants. At more than six metres tall and with an army of nine puppeteers, the awe-inspiring Patch and trusted Penguin pal will travel the streets of Salisbury, in stunning patchwork costumes (handmade by community makers, from recycled materials) heralded by local musicians and dancers.

Full programming for the festival will be announced at a later date and tickets will be on sale in March.

More details for all events and how to get involved can be found via the Wiltshire Creative website www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk