The Saturday line-up of Lancashire Encounter is packed with singing, theatre, installations and interactive activities – most of which are free.

The festival, which returns to Preston this month after attracting 43,000 visitors in 2016, promises to be a memorable weekend filled with Lancashire’s cultural diversity.

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This year Lancashire Encounter takes place on Friday 21, Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 September.

Lancashire Soundscape Soundbath

This relaxing experience will take place in one of the Harris art galleries, and be led by sound therapist and yoga teacher Emma Lowther-Wright. You’ll be provided with a blanket and lavender eye mask before you lie down on a yoga mat as Emma plays the Himalayan bowls, crystal bowls, rain sticks, chimes and percussion. Bathe in the soothing sound waves as you journey through Lancashire’s culture, landscape and history, while easing your mind and body into deep relaxation.

When: 11am and 1pm
Where: The Harris
Cost: Free, but booking is essential. Tickets via Eventbrite

Rawtenstall Annual Fair

Rawtenstall Annual Fair is a music hall style song about a farcical adventure around a village fair that includes a tattooed lady and a drunken mermaid. Lancashire-based theatre company Horse and Bamboo have collaborated with Bacup Folk Club to resurrect and reinterpret the old song into a theatrical performance.

When: 12pm – 12.25pm, 1.45pm – 2.05pm, 4pm – 4.20pm
Where: Winckley Square Gardens
Cost: Free

Choir on The Harris Balcony

Over 200 singers will perform to a crowd on the Flag Market. More Music Morecambe has worked with community choirs and singers to create new work Songs of Bread, Songs of Roses, which is is all about the things that feed the body and the soul. Lyrics feature the brilliance of barms and the fragrance of the Lancashire rose, in what’s described as a joyful choral experience.

When: 12pm-12.25pm, 2pm-2.25pm
Where: The Harris
Cost: Free

The Commuters

The Commuters follows a group of friends battling bank balances, nightmare bosses and ill-fitting suits. As they search for work-life balance in an increasingly digital world, they ask the question, do we live to work or work to live? North West physical theatre company The Knotted Project use the words of real people, dynamic choreography and projection to deliver an original and humorous performance.

When: 12pm – 1.15pm
Where: The Harris Comics Gallery
Cost: Free, but booking is essential. Tickets via Eventbrite

Abhinanadana MK Dance Academy

This Preston-based Indian dance troupe will present a fusion of Bollywood styles, including Indian classical, hip-hop, salsa, street dance and belly dance. Inspired by the county’s cotton mills, the costumes, colours, designs and simplicity of Lancashire materials will be showcased.

When: 12pm – 2pm
Where: The Harris
Cost: Free

Bollywood Dance Workshop

This Bollywood dance workshop will be conducted by dance experts to encourage and involve the audience to perform along with the group. There will be a quick Bollywood tutorial at the beginning, helping you to learn some of the steps.

When: 12pm – 2pm
Where: The Harris
Cost: Free

Agora NOW

In Ancient Greece, the Agora was a stage in the centre of town that provided a space for artists, philosophers, local business people and the general public to say, sell or do practically anything they wanted. Contemporary theatre and live performance company Derelict will bring an Agora to the people of Lancashire, with three open access stages.

When: 12pm – 4pm
Where: Covered Market
Cost: Free

Read more: Preston Market wins an ‘economic’ award

A Man’s Riding Time

Performer Lewis Grundy will spend six hours recreating a working day in a coal mine. A Man’s Riding Time mirrors a typical day and explores the concept of time, exhaustion and hard labour. Audience members are welcome to enter and leave as often as they like during the six-hour performance – Grundy will be there cleaning coal with single brushes throughout.

When: 12pm – 6pm
Where: The Harris Workroom
Cost: Free

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Art Jam

This installation and interactive event is run by Oxheys. Easels will be available for painting and drawing, and an open-mic will allow musicians, poets and storytellers to step up and perform. A map of Lancashire will use plasticine figures to show where the featured artists and creatives are located and the kind of work they do. Photos by the artists will be on display, with sound samples available to listen to on headphones.

When: 12pm – 6pm
Where: The Harris, Gallery 6
Cost: Free

South Asian Artistic Input

The Harris has a packed programme of South Asian arts and performances, as well as opportunities to get hands-on.

• Henna art – Nirali Parekh: Nirali will be decorating hands using Mehndi to create traditional tattoo patterns that incorporate the Lancashire Rose
• Capturing Lancashire with a Turkish influenced art – Heal Banu and Adam: Watch the mesmerising creation of the County Flower of Lancashire via the Turkish art of Ebru Marbling
• Artee craft – Shreya Ghodke: A home decor project will be crafted using assorted scraps of printed material, in homage to Lancashire’s heritage of cotton manufacturing
• Artee craft – Rakesh Ghodke: Participants can try traditional Rangoli design techniques using Rangoli powder and various tools, and the finished artwork will be gifted to the Harris

When: 12pm – 6pm
Where: The Harris
Cost: Free

Read more: Discover dandelions at the Harris

Wear My Heart (Red Rose) Upon My Sleeve

Artist Joanna Neil will capture reflections on what Lancashire means to people, through conversations, drawing, object handling, social media tagging and a confessional vox pop booth. Neil will then collate a selection of these contributions and weave them into a narrative. These constructed landscapes will be presented as a series of stitched drawings by hand and machine, representing a ‘Bayeux Tapestry’ of Lancashire in 2018.

When: 12pm – 6pm
Where: The Harris
Cost: Free

Like, Comment, Isolate

A blue fabric maze of social media will create an illusion of substance to be explored. It offers a chance to question the relationship between our connection to social media and our feeling of connectivity.

When: 12pm – 6pm
Where: The Harris, Gallery 5
Cost: Free

Red Rose Roll Call

Watch as artist Martin Hamblen performs a roll call of Lancashire place names – every hamlet, village neighbourhood, electoral ward, town and city will be recited.

When: 12pm – 6pm
Where: The Harris Atrium
Cost: Free

Read more: Road closures confirmed for Lancashire Encounter Festival parade

Step Into The Story Of The Pendle Witches

Enter a representation of a small room inside Demdike’s house, which will reflect the dark and mysterious goings-on in the Demdike and Chattox families around 1612 in the Pendle area. There, a storyteller will tell you tales of the suspected witches and their dubious practices. Taking place in 15 minute performances for small groups throughout the day, the stories come with a ‘mild scariness’ warning, so will be suitable for families with children aged seven and upwards.

When: 12pm – 6pm
Where: The Harris, Rear of Community History room
Cost: Free

Starlight-Starbright

Look up in The Harris’ central atrium to see this art installation featuring Origami Kusudama star balls, which aims to celebrate Lancashire’s long history of paper-making. Get involved with a workshop in Gallery 6 and learn how to make a six sheet modular Kusudama star ball as well as a number of different designs suiting different abilities and ages. You can add to the installation or take your creations home with you.

When: 12pm – 6pm
Where: The Harris
Cost: Free

Actual Reality Arcade

This life-sized interactive zone lets all ages take on the challenge of 12 classic arcade games. Experience piloting a spaceship in Defender, shooting aliens down in Space Invaders, building with giant Tetris blocks, attempting the Marble Madness run, and much more. Matthew Harrison’s Arcade is set to bring fun, laughter and nostalgic memories as some all-time favourite games are brought to life.

When: 12pm – 6pm
Where: Flag Market
Cost: Free

Virtual Reality Playground

Thrill Laboratory’s virtual reality playground is an action-packed adventure that uses the sensations of speed and weightlessness to take you back to childhood. Thrill Engineer Brendan Walker has created these virtual machines using his skills in aeronautical engineering, industrial design and digital art. One of the machines can be adapted for wheelchair users.

When: 12pm – 6pm
Where: Flag Market
Cost: Free

‘BLOCK’

A collaboration by Motionhouse and NoFit State Circus, the ‘BLOCK’ performance is a fusion of dance and circus that takes place against the spectacular backdrop of Winckley Square Gardens. Watch as the daring performers move with and explore 20 oversized blocks, deconstructed and reformed into an infinite variety of shapes. It’s a show that will leave the audience gasping.

When: 1pm – 1.40pm, 4.30pm – 5.10pm
Where: Winckley Square Gardens
Cost: Free

Mill Girls and Militants

Over 100 years ago, the mill girls, pit brow workers, weavers and laundresses of Lancashire were joining the fight for women’s suffrage. Some rallied support in village halls and demonstrated at town halls, others went to London to join marches and demonstrations. This live outdoor performance by Ludus Dance, which is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, uncovers and celebrates the lives of those working women from Burnley, Preston and Lancaster.

When: 2.30pm – 2.45pm, 4pm – 4.15pm
Where: Preston Flag Market
Cost: Free

No Bull!

Bull Bating once took place on Preston’s Flag Market, until the brutal sport was banned in 1726, but the remains of the bull ring still exist to this day. No Bull! is a recreation of the famous Spanish running of the bulls tradition. Watch as people dressed in traditional white colours with red sashes run through the streets, parks, alleys and market places of the city centre. Groups are encouraged to get together and put their own twist on Preston’s first bull run (minus the bull).

When: 4.10pm – 4.25pm
Where: Covered Market
Cost: Free

A Postcard From Lancashire

This short animated film by Flora Martyr celebrates everything that’s great about Lancashire, including landmarks, landscapes, sounds, colours and voices. Postcards featuring images from the animation will be available for free for the public to write on and send, spreading the beauty of Lancashire across the UK and beyond.

When: 7pm onwards
Where: The Harris Cafe
Cost: Free

The Lancashire Moon

This project features an enormous projected animation of the moon, made up of real people’s faces from all around Lancashire. Created in a similar way to Avatar, the faces will become the movement template that then animates a hand-drawn illustration of the moon. It will look, smile, blink, twitch, frown and observe the festival. The Lancashire Moon, by Hannah Fox and Jason Threlfall, is a co-commission project with Light Up Lancaster and Lightpool’s Festivals.

When: Evening
Where: Outdoor Market
Cost: Free

Lancashire ONE

Lancashire One Night Encounter will be a high energy and fast-paced showcase of the best of Lancashire’s performance talent. The night will represent the whole of Lancashire, with distinctive and memorable entertainment. The entertainment line-up will feature the likes of Katie Mulgrew, Louise Fazackerley and James Dangerfield, plus there will be Lancashire food and drink available to buy.

When: 7pm onwards
Where: St Peter’s Arts Centre
Cost: £8 + 97p booking fee. Tickets via Eventbrite

Short Story Slam

The Short Story Slam will see 12 writers read their work out, before the audience hold up coloured cards to vote for their favourite tale. Hosted by writer Garry Cook, the slam allows the audience to be part of the event while remaining in their seats, and aims to bring shy, reclusive writers out from behind the comfort of their laptops and into the unfamiliarity of a competitive live theatre-style space. The slam will be part of Lancashire Encounter for the second time.

When: 7.30pm – 10pm (doors open at 7pm)
Where: The Harris Cafe
Cost: Free

Read more: What to see on the Friday of Lancashire Encounter

Will you be going to Lancashire Encounter? Let us know in the comments below.