BRADFORD on Avon Fringe Festival kicked off with a bang this week with organisers hoping that it will be the most successful yet after taking a year out to rebrand the much-loved event.

The Fringe Festival started yesterday (Thursday, June 2) and for the next fortnight, over 40 events will be held in and around the town offering audiences a whole host of musical, comedic and theatrical performances.

The event, which began in 2010, was redesigned and rebranded last year and organiser Jim Lynch hopes the new attractions will encourage more people to attend and see what the town has to offer.

“It is hugely exciting. It is coming together now and with funding cuts, we are on a shoe string budget and we are looking to get everyone’s support over the next two weeks,” Mr Lynch added

“There are a lot of opportunities for people throughout the festival and it is really important for us and so we are asking for the town’s support and the support of communities across the area like Trowbridge and Melksham. We just want people to come and have fun with us as we know times are hard and we just want to make people laugh.”

As part of the rebranding, a new addition will see nearly 30 decorated mannequins scattered around the town which is the brainchild of Made in Bradford owner Wellie O’Driscoll .

“The mannequins were unwanted so we recycled them into something quirky to go with the Fringe Festival and the minute we put our plans on Facebook, lots of people wanted to get involved,” Ms O’Driscoll added.

“Some people have been incredibly creative and we are still waiting for some to come in and it has been really popular even before the Fringe has started.

“I think the most important thing about the mannequins is that the community is involved. When you can get the community inspired about something it means the whole thing belongs to everyone.”

The mannequins will be dotted around the town from Saturday.

As a community-based festival, organisers will also showcase a series of on-going projects in the town including a film project on the Avon Rubber Factory in a documentary called, To Honour The Avon on July 15.

Other highlights include a mini book festival for children next weekend which will see local authors come together to launch the Summer Reading Challenge in the library.

For more information on the entire line-up, visit www.fringeboa.co.uk