A FREE community arts festival is to take place at the Beacon Arts Centre this month.

Creative Minds returns to the waterfront venue on May 21-22 following the huge success of the inaugural event last year.

People will be able to get involved with a host of free activities and workshops at the themed festival.

The two-day event will also showcase work done by the Beacon’s network of community groups, with a series of new plays, shows, exhibition and performances.

Greenock Telegraph:

Plays from local organisations IFIT and Your Voice will be free to watch in the studio, and organisers say there will be lots of opportunities for visitors to try new things, including a series of dance classes.

There will be expressive arts workshops for children who are neurodiverse and/or disabled, plus performances by the Inverclyde Carers' Centre, the Beacon Youth Theatre and artworks on show.

There will also be a public piano for visitors to play and exclusive backstage tours and a paint party to bring the festival to a colourful close.

Greenock Telegraph:

A whole host of community groups will host information stalls to showcase their services during the festival.

Karen Townsend, co-director of the Beacon Arts Centre, said: “We are excited by the wide range of free events and activities on offer over the two day festival and we hope as many people come along as possible.

“With a theme of community and connection, we are delighted to showcase everything our community does here and to offer everyone the chance to get involved and meet new people.

“The arts truly are for everyone and everyone can benefit from having the chance to take part, try something new and discover new interests.

“Creative Minds II is a free festival, but it can only run with the support of funders who make this work possible. We are already looking for support for next year’s festival so we can keep lighting up lives through the arts and creativity."