FUN loving carnival-goers can expect a brush with success when the annual MayDayze festival comes to town.

Wigan Council's Art Development Team have organised a series of events in Leigh and Wigan town centres, helping bring art to the masses by inviting people to try out their skills in numerous open-air workshops.

Due to popular demand this year's event has been switched from the usual Sunday, to Saturday May 18. The fun starts at midday and runs until 4pm, with performances by both international and regional professional street entertainers taking place on Town Hall Square, Bradshawgate and Ellesmere Street bus station pedestrianised area.

The day will offer a unique blend of music, dance, acrobatics and comedy and is expected to attract more than 5,000 visitors to the town centre.

Among the highlights on the Community Stage will be the 21-strong Fred Longworth School Community Dancers, the Formby Hall Salsa group, disco divas from Appledance, masked mayhem with Kingsdown High School and English Morris Dancing from Leigh Marionettes.

Leigh's Turnpike Gallery will be bringing workshop activities out onto the Town Hall Square and local artists Catrin Mostyn and Vicki Reynolds invite people to look at, and create, pavement art on the square.

The Turnpike's galleries will be open with their latest exibition Flights of Reality, which includes work by Charles Avery, Matthew Richie, Keith Tyson, Grace Weir and Keith Wilson.

A week later, on May 25, MayDayze will hit Wigan town centre, where paints, brushes and art equipment will be provided for people to help create a giant borough banner for the Queen's Golden Jubilee parade in Manchester on June 4.

For further details call 01942 825677.