THRILLING international and UK circus, theatre, dance and art are taking place in unexpected locations throughout the county, as part of Inside Out Dorset 2018

The biennial arts festival, which runs from Friday, September 14 to Sunday, September 22, is a rare chance to see rural and urban locations transformed by some of the best international outdoor circus, theatre, dance and art.

This year’s sites and national heritage locations include Poole Quay, the Iron Age earthworks of Maiden Castle at Dorchester, woodlands around Shelley Park in Boscombe and the Chickerell clifftops above Chesil Beach.

Inside Out Dorset co-artist director Kate Wood said: “We are looking forward to welcoming artists from all over Europe to perform in our distinctive county. The opportunity to present so many premieres by companies that have never worked in the UK before is very special.”

Highlights during the opening weekend at Poole Quay on September 14 and 15 include a twilight performance by French company Cirque Rouages, with endlessly turning wheels and a tightrope high up against the darkening sky, four acrobats tell a heart-stopping story of migration and memory to a dramatic live soundtrack.

Daytime interactive game zone The Actual Reality Arcade, Matthew Harrison (UK) is inspired by classic arcade games. Pilot spaceship across the galaxy in the interactive game zone The Actual Reality Arcade, or enjoy music from Rock the Boat Street Guitars, with five mini stages set up along the quay, created from old sailing dinghies.

A range of performances are taking place in Boscombe on Saturday, September 15 and Sunday, September 16, including poetic artists Les Souffleurs, who will improvise nests and pop up in the landscape to set up silent meetings with human civilisation.

Enjoy sonic meditation, a sound and performance artwork created from woodland field recordings, in Flutterances (Tree Songs) as well as the UK premiere of De Weide Wereld, Waterlanders - an interactive installation highlighting the plight of meadow birds whose existence is threatened by our intensive use of grassland.

For full details of all events, visit insideoutdorset.co.uk