A NEW ten day summer programme of experimental performances, music and events will challenge visitors to Sale Waterside to see things differently.

Waterside Arts Centre launched its ten day Refract: 18 Festival with a bizarre performance from physical comedy masters PanGottic on Thursday, July 18.

It featured a mime artist with an elastic face who interacted with the audience and used remote controls to set off contraptions which fired balls into butterfly nets.

The performer got a water filled balloon to spill all over him, as well as using a remote control to fire a dart at an apple on his head.

Refract:18 will mostly take place at Waterside Arts but some will be held outdoors and in Sale Library.

Some special events are aimed at toddlers and children, with other adult performances including music, gay events, art, and comedy.

Standing out in the programme is War with Newts, on Saturday, July 21 and Sunday, July 22, about an intelligent race of newts that are shipped around the globe as cheap substitutes for human labour.

This performance is an Edinburgh Fringe preview and will take place in an unannounced part of Trafford, only to be revealed prior to the show.

Showstopper, the Improvised Musical, takes place at Waterside Arts on July 26, when a new musical will be created from scratch.

On July 27, Jeremiah Ferrari will fuse reggae, rock, ska and pop to create a new and original sound at Waterside Arts on July 27.

Perfect, the touching story of a boy meeting his disabled sister for the first time, is aimed at children aged between five and nine years. It will take place at Waterside Arts at 11.30am and 2.30pm on Saturday, July 28.

London pop-rock band The Magic Numbers will headline the Refract: 18 closing party at Waterside Arts on July 28.

* Refract: 18 runs from July 19 – 28. For tickets, telephone 0161 912 5616 or see Refract.org.uk. Printed programmes are available at Sale Library and Waterside Arts.