Swiss Cottage Community Festival this weekend promises to be great fun

A FEAST of music, poetry and dance will bring Swiss Cottage to life at a carnival this Saturday. The Swiss Cottage Community Festival, which is supported by the Ham&High, will see martial artists and Brazilian musicians sharing stage space with traditiona

A FEAST of music, poetry and dance will bring Swiss Cottage to life at a carnival this Saturday.

The Swiss Cottage Community Festival, which is supported by the Ham&High, will see martial artists and Brazilian musicians sharing stage space with traditional brass bands to put on a free show celebrating the many talents of residents in the area.

Swiss Cottage Community Centre director Erim Hassan said: "The fact of the matter is that in Swiss Cottage you have this green area at the centre surrounded by a theatre, a community centre, the Winchester Project, a library and a leisure centre, which is pretty unique.

"In essence we are all stakeholders in the festival and we play our roles in it. The festival is a real celebration of local talent - all the acts on the stage are people who live nearby."

Entertainment on the stage, which will be in the Swiss Cottage Open Space and facing Hampstead Theatre, will begin at noon and run until 8pm, including acts such as Indian dance troop Beeja, the Senior Service Band and an Iberian dance act.

The Community Centre hall will house activities including massages, facials and therapies, while children's football will be held on the five-a-side pitches and the library will feature the winning entries in the children's photography competition.

The leisure centre will offer free swimming sessions and Hampstead Theatre will run a series of shows at 12.30pm for children, and at 3pm and 6pm.

There will also be stalls with goods ranging from Spanish food, ice creams and crepes to antiques, athletics training and dolls' clothing.