GALLERIES inside empty shops, performances in abandoned buildings and artwork tucked down alleyways helped make the first Re:bourne festival a success.

Torrential rain and the odd clap of thunder failed to ruin the festivities as performers and artists took shelter in walkways, churches and other buildings in and around Sittingbourne High Street on Friday and Saturday and celebrated the past, present and future of the town in a variety of interactive styles.

Our island: Jamie Forester, Julie Wilkins and Chris Jennings from Risky Business SBIS130810Rebourne-19
Gallery: Visitors Rosemary Flood and granddaughter Matilda Flood, 10, admire work by 795 Arts SBIS130810Rebourne-22
IN THE BOX ABOVE: Tide and Time: Artist Julie Bradshaw incorporates the Gazette into her performance SBIS130810Rebourne-18
A garden of England: Sioux Peto and volunteer Cat Bevan in the blossoming alley SBIS130810Rebourne-15
VIP: Mayor of Swale Steve Worrall is shown round by Beatrice Obigbesan (corr) SBIS130810Rebourne-13
Colourful: Dean Tweedy helps visitors Jordan Maddison, 13, and Danielle Maddison, 17, from Murston create a river SBIS130810Rebourne-9
Royalty: A papier mâché Queen Mother, created by Peter Rush, looks out over Re:bourne SBIS130810Rebourne-17

Transforming an empty shop in the Bell Centre into a vibrant, ultra-violet island named after the town were Risky Business, a performing arts team run by inclusive community company Skillnet Group.

Colourful characters, including Jolly Roger and Mr Jungle Bungle, encouraged visitors to add to their wall display by writing what they liked and disliked about Sittingbourne and improvements they would like to see.

Next door, another disused premises was turned into a stylish gallery in which Swale-based group 795 Arts displayed beautiful landscapes, portraits and abstract works of art.

Sioux Peto from the Polka Dot Arts Centre in Teynham created a garden of flowers and trees from plastic bottles and bags, in an alleyway near Roman Square. Visitors to the colourful space were reminded that dropping litter and failing to recycle rubbish would result in a world devoid of the plants we need to survive.

Dean Tweedy, of Marvellous Murals, encouraged numerous visitors, including Mayor of Swale Cllr Steve Worrall, to create a winding river of paint down the High Street, replicating the River Bourne which flows beneath the road and gives Sittingbourne its name.

Sheppey's Big Fish Arts group performed interactive shows in St Michael's Church, revealing some of Sittingbourne's famous visitors including King Henry VIII, who was so impressed with his stay at the town's Rose Inn that he gave the insanely large tip of 6s 4d.

Other interactive displays included "shadow catching", which produced silhouettes of visitors in fancy dress, workshops using mirrors and words and a replica of Sittingbourne's decorative flower boxes, which people could climb inside and wheel around.

The festival was produced by art groups Nimble Fish and Workers of Art and funded by Swale Council.

Executive portfolio holder for culture Councillor Bryan Mulhern said: "We were very pleased that the event was well received.

"The town centre on Saturday afternoon was really vibrant and the wide range of attractions were testament to the effort put in by the event organisers to embed themselves in the community and to offer people new perspectives of the town."