THE countdown has begun for Hijinx Theatre’s unique line-up of inclusive and disability artists from Wales, the UK, Europe and beyond who will come to perform at the Hijinx Unity Festival in Cardiff from June 23 to July 3.

Once again, Hijinx Unity Festival will form part of Cardiff Festival, a programme of city-wide events and festivals taking place over the summer months.

Hijinx Unity Festival brings a fantastic mixture of the best in international inclusive and disability arts.

Performers from Sweden, Spain, France, Germany, Ethiopia and the UK will perform at the Festival, at the city’s award winning pub theatre The Other Room and at the iconic Wales Millennium Centre.

The festival is created by Welsh theatre company Hijinx to give a high profile platform to stunning work made by disabled and non-disabled artists working together as equals.

Through a high quality programme of performing arts, the festival promotes positive images of disability and social inclusion to audiences and has grown to attract over 10,000 visitors a time since its creation in 2008.

Highlights include a weekend of free performances on The Hayes, Cardiff City Centre on July 2-3. Much of The Hayes, from Hills Street to Cardiff Central Library, will be transformed into an eye-catching performance space that will see audiences immersed in dance, theatre, comedy and circus acts each day from 11am through to 6pm.

The weekend will include a walkabout production of Romeo and Juliet by Cardiff based Taking Flight Theatre Company; tyre-based zany circus with France’s Zim Zam; German theatre company Blaumeier-Atelier’s hilarious walkabout with The Chambermaids; The UK’s Kazzum dancing with sofa’s in Sprung and Hijinx’s own pop-up theatre shows, the Pods, to name but a few acts.

Wednesday, June 29, offers two chances to see a free performance by world-leading, London based Candoco Dance Company performing a new love duet choreographed by Arlene Phillips CBE.

The festival also offers a ticketed programme of performances at Wales Millennium Centre from June 29 to July 2, where audiences will be treated to a world premiere of Sweden based Moomsteatern’s adaptation of August Strindberg’s A Dream Play; powerful and fun Flamenco with Seville’s Compañía Danza Mobile; Glasgow based Caroline Bowditch’s award winning Falling in love with Frida, based on the life, love and legacy of painter Frida Kahlo, and Hijinx together with world-renowned Told by an Idiot’s late night daring cabaret, Cabaret of Blood.

Hijinx Unity Festival is made possible thanks to funding from Welsh Assembly Government and Arts Council of Wales, giving audiences the opportunity to enjoy inclusive and disability arts from a large number of UK and international companies.

Tickets are available from Wales Millennium Centre on 029 2063 6464 and at wmc.org.uk.

The Hijinx Unity Festival ticket at £25 gives access to all four festival shows at the Wales Millennium Centre and is available to buy in person at the venue or over the phone.

For the full programme and more information on the Festival including information on accessibility visit hijinxunity.org.uk