A new festival aims to celebrate "the world as it should be" as the arts and entertainment industry attempts to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bridgeton actress Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury, will be one of the star attractions at The Primadonna Festival at the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket, where she will talk about her writing work.

Head-East-campaign-celebrate-art-and-culture-in-East-Anglia

Andoh will be joined at the Museum of East Anglian Life by comedian and former Great British Bake Off host Sandy Toksvig , and author and MasterChef judge Grace Dent.

Ipswich Star: Museum of East Anglian Life Picture: GREGG BROWNMuseum of East Anglian Life Picture: GREGG BROWN (Image: Archant)

Speaking ahead of the festival which starts on July 30, Primadonna Director Catherine Riley said: "Everyone so needs a weekend of fun.

"There is a great arts and culture offering in different parts of Suffolk, we are just doing it in a different part - we know there is a big appetite for it in places like Stowmarket because there just isn't that provision."

"We are really excited we are able to bring this world class festival to the area but we also want to embed it year on year, we want to make it something that local people really love and feel a part of.

"We have just launched a pay-what-you-can offer because we know lots of people, particularly in the arts and creative industries, are really struggling and we want to make sure we are as accessible as we can possibly be."

Ipswich Star: Primadonna festival director Catherine Riley is one of the women that helped set up the eventPrimadonna festival director Catherine Riley is one of the women that helped set up the event (Image: Natalie Koffman)

Ms Riley added: "It is really exciting to be able to do this in real life after the last 18 months. We have got a fantastic line-up which we are really excited about with lots of headline appearances from lots of brilliant writers and musicians."

Festival organisers hope that families from Suffolk and further afield will make Primadonna part of their summer staycation - camping is available in the grounds of the museum.

Children under-five will not need to pay to get into the festival and there will be lots to keep them entertained over the weekend - including craft activities.

Primadonna will run between July 30 and August 1, all the information you need can be found on the festival's website.

The festival is being promoted by Head East, a new regional cultural tourism campaign which showcases the rich diversity and quality of arts, culture and heritage in Suffolk and Norfolk. Find out more: www.visiteastofengland.com.