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Art of performing at heart of street festival

Jul 29, 2016 | 7:00 PM

Performers from across the world are in North Battleford to show off their skills out on the streets of downtown.

The North Battleford International Street Performers Festival is underway in the Central Park area and programming partner Shelley Switzer said it’s great to be back with the festival.

“We’re here to bring a lot of joy and fun and silliness to the communities that we’re visiting, so we’re thrilled to be here for the third year,” Switzer said.

The interaction between the festival attendees and the street performers drew Switzer into the street festival world.

“It was the connection, the true connection, between each audience member and the artist that happens. It’s the most generous spirit of artistry that I’ve ever witnessed in a long, long career in the arts,” she said.

Nigel Martin, also known as Mr. Spin, is one of the performers at the festival.

“I just grew up performing so I’ve always liked it,” Martin said. “I like to make people happy; it’s really my main goal.”

Martin it makes him feel happy see the reactions of everybody taking in his performance and the rest of the festival.

“That’s what you want isn’t it? Having a nice big crowd and everyone smiling and happy and enjoying themselves,” he said.

The festival runs Saturday, July 30 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 31 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

Matt Kelly is battlefordsNOW’s town municipal affairs and community reporter. He can be reached at mkelly@jpbg.ca.