A free outdoor arts festival dubbed “brilliant and inspiring” which has taken over the streets of Coventry is all set for a showstopping final three weeks.

Imagineer – Streets of Cov, Coventry

Streets of Cov has transformed spaces across the city over the last three weeks with pop-up performances from world-class local, national and international acts.

Organisers Imagineer Productions say the festival has been embraced by the community as thousands of people have enjoyed the range of circus, dance, music and theatre productions taking over iconic city locations.

The family-friendly festival’s launch weekend saw 500 people come to see WILD by Motionhouse in Broadgate, with crowds wowed by a mix of acrobatics and dance in the heart of the city.

Audiences have described the shows as “brilliant and inspiring accessible art”, saying the festival “brings people together”.

Streets of Cov has been supported by more than 10 volunteers, with performances taking place at the Cathedral Ruins, Broadgate, St Mary’s Guildhall, and Lower Precinct so far.

Angus MacKechnie, Creative Director and CEO of Imagineer Productions, said the festival is bringing “world-class” entertainment to Coventry.

“We’ve had excellent feedback. I think people can’t quite believe that this level of world-class programming is completely free,” said Angus.

“There have been people attending multiple events in one day as they have been so impressed with the standard of the productions.

“There is no reason why Coventry shouldn’t experience the best of the arts and that’s what we are trying to do. European street theatre company Cia Kamchàtka has been one of the highlights so far, intriguing and fascinating audiences in four different locations.  

“Last weekend we had our #MadeInCov weekend, celebrating the very best of our performers in Coventry, showcasing just what we are able to achieve in this great city.

“We hope that the children, the public and the creative community in Coventry are inspired by the festival and it can help creativity to flourish.”

Streets of Cov has received support from organisations across the city, including Coventry Business Improvement District (BID) which has provided marketing support for the festival.

Joanne Glover, Chief Executive of Coventry BID, said: “Streets of Cov has brought the city centre alive with creativity, creating a vibrant atmosphere on the streets and it has been one of the highlights of the summer.

“The performances have been driving increased footfall into the city centre, which has a positive impact on our businesses and we’d love to see more events like this throughout the year.

“It has been a brilliant first three weeks and we are excited to see what Imagineer Productions has planned next.”

Streets of Cov will continue to run on Fridays and Saturdays until Saturday, September 21, with eye-catching displays still to come from Autin Dance Theatre, Simple Cypher, Jon Hicks, Pang & Reynolds, Gobbledegook Theatre, Jeanefer Jean-Charles, The Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band, NoFit State Circus, Bedlam Oz and Linden Dance.

People will be able to see performances at Coventry University’s Delia Derbyshire Building, The Canal Basin, Daimler Powerhouse, Cathedral Ruins, Broadgate, St Mary’s Guildhall, and Lower Precinct.

Angus added: “We have a lot more to come, from a gigantic hamster wheel travelling around Lower Precinct and Broadgate on September 6, to a spectacular outdoor circus production using only bamboo across two locations on the final weekend of the festival.

“We would like to thank everyone who has supported the outdoor festival so far, including Coventry BID for helping to spread the word and encourage the city centre to fully embrace Streets of Cov.”

Further information about the event, including the full programme of performances, can be found at https://imagineer-productions.co.uk/prods/