Artists from Lancaster and Morecambe will uncover stories of a long-hidden underground watercourse, or mill race, which runs beneath the streets at a street party on Sunday in the city centre.

This unique street party entitled ‘Something’s Happening Here’ marks the start of an exciting three-year cultural programme ‘Mill Race: Flow of Change’ exploring the past, present, and imagined future of the ‘Mill Race’ area of Lancaster.

This cultural programme will be overseen by the award-winning contemporary combined arts organisation, Lancaster Arts, based at Lancaster University.

Visitors can expect artwork spilling out of car boots, secret performances hidden away in vans and, of course, food trucks!

There will be opportunities to create rubbings and recordings, add to a car boot collage and contribute to an outdoor artwork.

You can listen to live cello improvisations and a pop-up choir and help curate a pop-up exhibition.

A unique artwork will temporarily bring the Mill Race, now covered over and often invisible, back to the surface in the form of a fountain, powered by everyone who visits the event on the Grand car park and Lower St Leonard's Gate car park on Sunday.

The Street Party Festival starts at 1pm.

Alongside the festival, a ‘Cultural Consortium’ will be recruited and will oversee the three-year cultural programme.

This will comprise a diverse mix of artists, arts and heritage organisations and special interest groups, residents, and businesses and services based in the area and those who are passionate about the area and how arts and culture can make a difference.

Anyone interested in applying to join the Consortium should contact: jocelyn@lancasterarts.org

The events form part of a three-year cultural programme for Lancaster’s Mill Race area complementing the Lancaster High Streets Heritage Action Zone delivered by Lancaster City Council.

Both programmes are managed by Historic England.