Whether the sun shines or not, Barking will be basking in some fine art and performances during the LIFT Molten Festival.

With 11 days of performances planned on Abbey Green and elsewhere, highlights will include international theatre group Transe Express and their astounding opening show Lacher De Violons (Freeing The Violins). A pied piper parade of music and dance leading up to The Lift itself, party-goers will have to suspend their disbelief as the performers suspend themselves as a giant human mobile 30 feet in the air.

The beating heart of this vibrant community will be laid bare in Ice Harvest, where locals will lead tours around Barking to share their knowledge of the neighbourhood's secret history and spaces in a personal psychogeographic ramble. There's also a blast from the past in the form of Vintage Voices, a choir featuring members all over 50 who will be showing the kids a thing or two with their full-throated and fun versions of songs from yesteryear as well as songs from the likes of Amy Winehouse and The Feeling.

But that's just the tip of the LIFT Molten Festival iceberg, with burlesque performances from The Whoopee Club, a Classy-Oke event and music and dance at the Global Village Fete amongst the other events all adding up to make the festival the place to be in the city this summer.