Imagine Watford festival returns to The Parade next week organised by Watford Palace Theatre

Imagine Watford has a programme of numerous free events brought by an array of artists and collectives from Hertfordshire, as well as more from across the country and worldwide.

Events will include theatre on a trampoline, eclectic music, comedic hula hooping, virtuoso acrobatics, oversized bingo and a huge playground.

Festival co-ordinator Celine McKillion joined the team at the Watford Palace in September and explains to me what will make 2017 different to previous years.

“The festival is known for its big, spectacle evening shows. This year we’ve got new stuff which won’t disappoint, aerial circus, swinging trapeze, a big impressive structure in the air and lots of pyrotechnics. That’s definitely one to stay out late for.

“We are introducing Imagine Festival Parade on Friday, June 30. It is a community procession by a company called Festive Road who are bringing a big bird structure with dancers, drummers and walkers. It will involve community organisation and public taking part so we encourage people to come along.

“We’re also holding some drop in workshops in the theatre in the afternoon of that day, between 1pm and 5pm, for people to come and make some lanterns which they can then carry in the procession that evening.”

Evidently enthused at the festivities to come, I asked Celine what makes an outdoor arts festival so special: “I think the nature of these events being free and open makes them accessible to people who wouldn’t normally engage in that sort of thing, who wouldn’t usually go to the theatre or feel comfortable at a show or arts places.

"Perhaps they can’t afford to pay for tickets, or think that theatre and dance isn’t really for them.

“A lot of the shows at Imagine Watford are very visual and atypical, they’re not necessarily narrative based which again makes them more accessible, especially if English isn’t your first language.

"It’s not about transplanting indoor shows to outdoors, it’s with artists who work specifically in this sector of the arts and have created their work for outdoors and different audiences.

“It allows people to experience things in their own comfort zone. In most events the audience are given the freedom to roam around or join in if they want to, they can leave if they don’t like something. Children don’t have to be completely quiet or completely still, so it’s accessible.

“Audiences have more control over what they’re engaging with and how. It creates a sense of community pride when people see things happening in their everyday spaces. I think outdoor arts really attracts a broad range of people in spaces.

“The overall atmosphere it can create, with an element of surprise if you’re going about your errands and come across something quirky and theatrical happening. There’s the unexpected and wonder.”

There is a month’s heatwave apparently ahead of us, which covers Image Watford Festival dates of June 24 to July 2, but with British weather being predictably unexpected I wondered what happens if it rains.

“That’s always a worry,” Celine tells me. “We have contingency plans in place and most performances are scheduled to happen two or three times a day over the weekend, sometimes it might be necessary to cancel one, for example if it is too dangerous to perform, but many can be performed in wet weather.

“We encourage people to bring both sun cream and a raincoat! We hope people will enjoy themselves whatever the weather. We’ll update accordingly on our social media.”

Imagine Watford is created by the Watford Cultural Leaders Group and programmed by Watford Palace Theatre.

For full programme details visit: imaginewatford.co.uk

We want to hear you memories of past years, email them to mattie.laceydavidson@london.newsquest.co.uk