There’s two enormously different festivals kicking off in Oxfordshire this week, one focusing on dance and the other books, and both equally as fascinating. Katherine MacAlister finds out more

Dancin’ Oxford has launched an exciting outdoor programme this summer to keep you all tapping your feet.

The summer festivities offer four outdoor experiences, all free, for all ages from babies and little ones to teens and above.

First up is Spill, high energy street dance across Florence Park Playground for children and adults. Combining quirky, dynamic dance with gymnastics, dancers will blaze a colourful trail across the playground structures and landscapes. There are two shows a day at 2pm and 4pm from tomorrow until Sunday at the playground in Cornwallis Road, East Oxford, with Electro-Pop workshops on site daily at 3.15pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Manzil Way Gardens is the location for the next event on Sunday, July 6, at 2pm, 3.15pm and 4.30pm during Cowley Road Carnival. The Inner City, a co-presentation with Oxford Playhouse Plays Out, is a jaw-dropping set from the free running dance troupe The Urban Playground.

Performed on a large playground structure, it combines authentic parkour (military obstacle training) with street dance and slapstick in a show the whole family will enjoy.

Baby Boogie, now a regular dance event for fives and under, will be at the Asian Cultural Centre, also during the Cowley Road Carnival at 1pm and 3.15pm, alongside performances from young DJ’s, and other activities which include face painting, comic drawings and circus skills.

The final summer event is Clunk, a 30-minute outdoor, dance-theatre mini gig featuring three musicians who will take families on a journey through crazy stories, interpreting them through Balkan music, song, visual imagery and movement. The show, at Oxford Castle Quarter Gardens on Sunday, July 13, at 11am and 2pm, is created by Peut-être Theatre and Dante or Die. A corresponding workshop will be held at the Old Fire Station on Friday, July 11, at 10.30am.

Festival founder and organiser Claire Thompson said: “The outdoor dance programme this summer gives us opportunity to offer something completely different for families and people of all ages. We hope many, many people come along to enjoy themselves and see free high quality dance in a range of settings.”

For more information see dancinoxford.co.uk