The Thrown Gauntlet Festival is back for its second year this weekend (January 26 to 28) as residents around the Smithick area of Falmouth open up their homes for their neighbours to witness art and performance.

The festival aims to bring down the barriers to exhibiting and accessing creative expression, using art of all kinds, from music and performance to painting and sculpture, as a catalyst for conversation and interaction between the eclectic community of Smithick and wider Falmouth.

"With almost 100 artists and acoustic performers works around Smithick residents’ doorsteps between 12 til 8 on the 27th and 28th, we hope the scale and relaxed attitude of the daytime element of the festival will encourage all Falmouth to participate and come along to the festival, spread out over the weekend," said a spokesman.

"With everything from challenging abstract art to the Creative Corner, where you can try your hand at anything from drawing to print-making, the festival should have something for all ages, and the event's daytime selection of acoustic and artistic performance is as diverse as the hung artwork.

"With our festival relying on the volunteers, homes and artwork of our community, community is central to what we want to strengthen with the event, and we hope to see many of you there."

While the day time events and exhibitions are staged in people's living rooms, bathrooms, gardens and on the streets, during the evening the festival moves to the Jacobs Ladder Inn where there will be three nights of music, performance and film, between 7pm and 1am on Friday, 8pm and 2am on Saturday and 8pm and 11.30pm on Sunday.

For more information on the festival go to thethrowngauntletfestival.co.uk or search Facebook.