APPLICATIONS are now open for talented acts to perform in a micro-festival as part of the Harwich Festival of the Arts.

For this year’s festival organisers are looking for performing acts, from singers and dancers to magicians and acrobats, to show off their skills in a micro-festival and perform for up to 20 minutes each.

The micro-festival will be running at the Bandstand at Cliff Park, Harwich, from June 25 until July 2.

Festival organisers have also announced an event to give jazz fans a special treat with a day dedicated to the smooth music genre.

Musicians Kit Downes and Tomas Challenger, known as Vyamanikal, are set to perform at St Nicholas Church, in Harwich, at 3pm.

Downes’ organ playing is alternately delicate and thunderous, teasing out unearthly vibrations while Challenger’s sax lines act as a channel between the instrument and their setting.

Also performing on the day will be the Luca Ciarla Quartet who are flying in from Italy for a special concert at The Electric Palace at 7.30pm.

With Antonino de Luca on accordion, Maurizio Perrone on double bass and Francesco Savoretti on percussions, internationally famous jazz violinist Luca Ciarla has developed on the sounds of Italian folk tradition and the Mediterranean area.

For more information on the Up to 20 micro-festival or to fill out an application form visit or tickets to the jazz concerts visit www.harwichfestival.co.uk.