A MAJOR arts festival took to the streets of a North-East town yesterday.

The centre of Stockton became the stage for street theatre performers as the second stage of the 16th Stockton Riverside Arts Festival got under way.

And last night, the first of three spectacular Riverside shows took place, lighting up the River Tees.

The first part of the festival took place last weekend, with big name musical acts, including The Proclaimers, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

However, yesterday, the main part of the festival began in earnest, as hundreds of people watched street entertainers, including an act involving a 30ft pig, waiters serving exploding food and bungling firefighters squirting the audience with water.

Meanwhile, music and theatre was being performed in the Moulin Rouge marquee, just off Stockton High Street.

Last night, the marquee hosted performances by stand-up comedians and a Robbie Williams tribute act.

One of the highlights of the day was the Albatross show, on the White Water Course at Tees Barrage, which saw performers tell the story of a doomed voyage to the Antarctic on a ship-shaped stage.

The festival is expected to attract thousands of visitors and will close on Sunday night with the KYO Theatre Festival Finale, in High Street and on the Riverside, including fireworks and a parade of giant creatures of the deep.

* For details of street theatre, Riverside shows, fringe music and visual art festival, Saturday's 11am carnival parade and Sunday's grand finale evening, log on to www.sirf.co.uk