Kids Learn the Definition of Psychadelic

Variety is the spice of life - especially at the Manchester International festival. It's clear the organisers have tried to entice people from every little cleft of Manchester, England, Europe…..and the world. This is an accessible festival - interactive and public – although it is noticeably still awaiting the approval of the local artists who've founded their own anti-festival; “Not Manchester International Festival”.

The collision of cultures and ideas was evident today in the array of delicacies we managed to sample. It has been proved in the last 10 hours that you can enjoy the festival on a shoestring; continually arrested by the freebies and incidental moments that are priceless (compared to the £40, 'clean-living' raves perhaps).

Our treat for the night was PJ Harvey whose serenely ethereal melodies and opposing dark monotones kept the crowd hooked.

I enjoyed the kids' free outdoor event – a garden installation and performance art piece that involved a grown man being swallowed by a monstrous mound of leaves and soil. This piece concluded with a surreal realisation of the original idea as multiple little replica men sprouted from the ground. A joyful tune evoked the up-rising of the cityscape from the fantastical monster mound.

Further encounters of the day found us rather than us finding them. These included a group of four mime artists dressed in white and a cluster of teenagers who'd been inspired by the Monkey moves workshop at Piccadilly Gardens. The buzz of the city and general festival vibe had allowed them the opportunity to exhibit their own innovative acrobatics.

By Rebecca Lupton