THE eastern region's most diverse celebration of all things arts and heritage is set to roll again next year.Waveney's Revels will run from Easter Monday, April 13, to spring bank holiday Monday, May 4 2009 - promoting cultural enterprise and initiative.

THE eastern region's most diverse celebration of all things arts and heritage is set to roll again next year.

Waveney's Revels will run from Easter Monday, April 13, to spring bank holiday Monday, May 4 2009 - promoting cultural enterprise and initiative.

The first Revels programme earlier this year included over 160 events, from sell-out big name theatre stars to rural heritage talks attracting hundreds, with an estimated 17,000 people attending and participating in projects - a great start for what is hoped to become a new regional tradition.

“Revels 09/out on the edge” will again be all-inclusive - involving both professional, business and community-led ventures, celebrating high days and holidays - turning a spotlight on the vast array of creative and cultural activity going on in the area plus, excitingly, staging projects especially invented for the Revels.

Last April in the local market towns, Halesworth boldly staged an outdoor theatre premiere especially for the Revels - Black Shuck, the terrifying local saga of a mad dog and local Englishmen; Bungay mirrored the town with professional artworks showing local residents and shopkeepers going about their business finished works displayed in unique locations, from takeaways to greengrocers; Southwold was the target for a classic car run; and Beccles schoolchildren and students had a unique opportunity to hang artworks in a dynamic professional gallery, selling much of their work.

And Lowestoft roared with laughter from comedians as diverse as Jimmy Carr and Ken Dodd.

Understandably, the first Revels attracted wide media coverage in press, radio, online and TV. It is promoted by the arts and heritage service at Waveney District Council.

Involvement in the Revels 09 programme is open to all, including professional creatives and heritage entrepreneurs, diverse local businesses (from holiday camps to hotels, restaurants to camera shops), community groups (WIs, Scouts, residents associations, social clubs etc) and amateur groups and societies.

All three of the area's professional theatre venues join in the Revels, and local galleries and museums will, it is hoped, present special programmes.

Community organisations from the University of the Third Age, churches, youth groups get involved.

Many of the first Revels events surprised people and revealed the huge range the labels “arts” and “heritage” include.

Art online, an historical road marathon, cooking lessons and country markets, ballroom dancing, weaving and wine tasting all appealed to crowds along with more conventional programming including a concert by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, stage plays, recitals, exhibitions, comedy, film and music ancient and modern.

Programme details are growing, and further information will be available online from mid-November.

Event and project ideas are welcomed now by Andrew Kitchen, arts and heritage

service manager, email arts&heritage@waveney.gov.uk or write to Waveney District Council, Town Hall, Lowestoft NR32 1HS.