BOURNEMOUTH Arts Emerging Fringe (BEAF) festival will be bringing colour and creativity to Boscombe this summer.

The arts festival, from Saturday, June 26, to Sunday, July 4, will feature a wide range of events including live music, performances and visual arts, plus a full programme of workshops, talks and family-friendly events.

This year’s festival theme is asking us what it means to be human; inspired in part by the work of South African artist William Kentridge, whose short, animated film Other Faces will be the centre-piece of the main exhibition in BEAF’s new gallery and theatre space in Boscombe, BAD (Boscombe Arts Depot).

A spokesman said: “Alongside Kentridge’s animation, visitors to the festival can expect a thought-provoking and reflective programme of new work from 40 commissioned artists who, despite the pandemic have continued to produce their work for the festival.

“BEAF’s curated exhibition 2B Human will be presented in the new space and will feature art, photography, film, video, sculpture and interactive digital work.

“The Boscombe Arts Depot will also become the central hub for the festival, providing an information point, a pop-up shop from Poole based Pen Gallery, as well as an arts cinema, a theatre and an education space.”

The year of the pandemic has been transformational for The Outsiders Project, one of BEAF’s year-round co-created projects, which gives voice to people sidelined from society.

Over the last year, the project has developed a new show, Tattoo, which tells stories of the project participants’ own tattoos, some deeply moving, others full of wit and humour.

Music has been specially composed by Deena Jackman and the show is directed by Nell Leyshon.

A series of takeovers had been planned at a number of locations across Boscombe but, due to Covid restrictions, all music events will now be held at the B.A.D. Building.

Highlights include music from Gambian kora player Jally Kebba Susso, a trio of women folk/jazz musicians, Ruth Theodore, Izzie Yardley and Olivia Bhattacharjee and New York musician Thomas Truax.

Exhibitions include hand painted animations from Corrianna Clarke featuring her new work Boscombe Bound, created during lockdown with voices from the people of Boscombe, paper peepshows from artist Richard Sanz and the intricate pen and ink illustrations from Paper Cinema’s Nic Rawling.

Founded in 2004, The Paper Cinema is an association of artists and activists who blend live animation and original music to tell stories about our planet.

BEAF is premiering their most recent show – a re-imagining of Macbeth as a cautionary tale for our times.

The spokesman added: “BEAF’s family focused mini-festival also returns over the final weekend of the festival in the pocket park, Churchill Gardens, this year featuring the extraordinary interactive work of performance duo, Rimski and Handkerchief.

“They will delight audiences, young and old with their work, Wind Up at Home – a fantastical mobile ‘house’ where tables turn, music is made in the unlikeliest of ways and you are invited to interact with some wondrous contraptions too.

“Workshops at this weekend event include drumming with Cheikh Diop, animations with Hannah Eaton, bubbleology with Lisa Davies and even a silent disco, all free and programmed to entertain the whole family.

To book tickets and for more details visit gotbeaf.co.uk