BISHOP'S Castle Arts Festival is hosting a performance by a group from Hannover in Germany on February 20. The group will be in town as part of an international meeting of 29 people, including visitors from Poland and the Czech Republic. The meeting is organised by Pathways ID, a community interest company that is sponsoring a festival concert by Benji Kirkpatrick on February 21 at 8pm in the Three Tuns. Tickets cost £7.50 from the Tuns or Bishop's Castle Town Hall. The Hannover group is made up of people of all ages from various cultural backgrounds and all walks of life. Most of them learn English at a community college in Hannover and their ‘Celebrations’ performance in Bishop's Castle is billed as a ‘homemade Kleine Feier’ or little party.

The group is interested in bringing people from different cultures together, bridging the gap between performers and spectators rather than putting on a show for an audience. You can see the Kleine Feier on February 20 at 12 noon in the Three Tuns top room. It’s free, with donations invited.

Pathways has, with grant funding from EU Lifelong Learning programmes, brought many international groups to Bishop's Castle in recent years - visiting as part of partnerships or for educational workshops. These visits have usually had open events in the town and local villages which have connected with a wide range of local people. To find out more call 01686 670505.