CONTEMPORARY art shows and creative illusions are putting a spell on Weymouth and Portland from tomorrow as B-Side takes over for a nine-day festival full of workshops, talks, concerts and exhibitions.

B-Side Festival celebrates the unique art culture in Dorset and provides up-and-coming artists with a channel to exhibit their talent to an audience.

This year, the festival has attracted some of the most respected artists in the country, with the likes of Dr John Cooper Clarke coming.

Running from September 10 to 18, here’s just a taster of the events going on across the area for the multimedia storm:

* EXPERIENCE The Portland Office for Imaginary History by Alistair Gentry from September 10 to September 18 at the Outpost, 77 Fortuneswell, Portland

Running from 11am to 6pm at B-Side’s new project space, the free exhibition is Alistair’s response to an open call from B-Side to imagine an alternative Tourist Information Centre for the island of Portland.

Real and imagined historical and environmental information intertwine, sites of interest, excursions and souvenirs. You won’t see Portland in the same way ever again!

* ENJOY a sound and light installation with Chorus by Ray Lee on September 16 from 7pm to 9pm. Chorus is an uplifting and mesmerising installation made up of giant kinetic sculptures that emit hypnotic sounds.

Beautiful orbits of light will be traced in the sky as large metallic arms whirl above you emitting precisely tuned musical pitches creating a pulsating, harmonic drone.

Hosted at the New Ground viewpoint on Portland, visit the free exhibition at dusk, overlooking the stunning Portland causeway.

You can also see Chorus on September 17 and 18 from 2pm to 9pm at Weymouth Pavilion forecourt.

* MARVEL at The Matthew Robins Show on September 11 at Portland British Legion.

Matthew is an artist and musician from Cornwall. He tells stories about animals, monsters, insects, love, the ocean and death.

Performing live, at 8.30pm – with puppets and music - the show is a collection of songs, short stories, shadow-puppets, home-made animations and competitive audience puppet-making.

Hear about Flyboy (he’s half-boy/half-fly) and his friend Mothboy, Evaporina (she can’t sit too close to the radiator), the sad story of the Wicker Cat, Walter Knitty and many others.

It’s a one-man variety show (but with other people as well) that adults will enjoy just as much as children aged 8 and over. Braver young children are welcome too if they dare...

* LISTEN to the powerful sounds of Shame Chorus tomorrow and Sunday.

Performing tomorrow at 6pm and on Sunday at 11am at West Weares (end of Chesil beach near Quiddles cafe), Shame Chorus will showcase the uplifting performance created by artist Jordan McKenzie, psychoanalyst Susie Orbach and members of the London Gay Men’s Chorus.

Susie Orbach invited members of the Chorus to recall memories of feeling shamed. Taking these interviews as inspiration, composers have turned these memories into original songs.

* Visit b-side.org.uk for more information and timings.