A LEADING Suffolk heritage site was turned into an eclectic mix of creative talent from the UK and Brazil over the weekend.

A LEADING Suffolk heritage site was turned into an eclectic mix of creative talent from the UK and Brazil over the weekend.

The stately grounds of Kentwell Hall, in Long Melford, near Sudbury, were transformed into an outdoor music venue for the inaugural visit of the Festinho festival.

The three-day event - to raise money for Brazilian street children - showcased new and established music and included workshops in samba, capoeira and percussion and a Brazilian-themed cocktail bar.

Though the Festinho festival has been going for four years, it is the first time it has been held in Suffolk after outgrowing its previous site in Oxford.

And the organisers described Suffolk as their “spiritual home” with all the money raised going to the Action for Brazil's Children charity, which originated in Bury St Edmunds.

Festival director Simon Strick said: “The whole weekend has been absolutely incredible and we are stunned by the response.

“We have had blistering sunshine, for the most part, and the fields are full of lots of extremely happy people.

“Once we started looking for a bigger site, someone told us about Kentwell Hall and we fell in love with it. We would love to come back next year and initial reports seem to suggest it has gone very well.”

The organisers, crew and many of the artists and performers gave up their time for free in a bid to raise more money for the charity.