The Manx Competitive Music, Speech and Dance Festival - widely known as the Guild - is to go ahead at the Villa Marina from April 24 to May 1.

Free copies of the festival’s syllabus, which details classes as well as requirements for competitors, are now available in outlets island wide, including newsagents and libraries.

New additions this year include a group mime class, a new group ballet class, and a specially-themed class named ’Anything Goes’, where competitors are given the opportunity to perform their own choice of music and/or dance, fitting with a theme.

Guild chairman Anne Clarke said: ’Despite having to sadly cancel the 2020 Guild, we were able to organise an online alternative in a very short space of time, attracting almost 90 talented performers from across the island. The committee was determined that no matter what, "The Guild Goes On", and we have exactly the same notion for the 2021 festival!

’The Guild usually attracts more than 3,500 performers each year, with numbers continuing to grow.

’This is something we are very proud of as we are always looking at ways to attract new people and keep the magic of the 128-year-old event alive.’