A DARWEN company helped bring a splash of colour to Manchester International Festival.

As a member of the North West creative community, Crown Paints donated products for commissions at the event including Manchester Street Poem which featured musician Karl Hyde from the band Underworld working with homeless people to paint words around the shell of a disused shop in the city.

Gemma Saunders, executive coordinator of the festival, said: "Manchester International Festival would like to thank Crown Paints for their generous donation of paint to the Manchester Street Poem event.

"This donation helped enormously to realise the project, which has been co-created by Underworld and individuals with personal experience of homelessness."

Picnic benches, bars and DJ booths in Albert Square also sported Crown's bright colours.

Debbie Orr, Crown Paints’ marketing manager, said: “Manchester International Festival is one of the world’s most dynamic and respected arts festivals and we were delighted to support such an important and creative event."