The Pride of Place group of theatre companies, a consortium of organisations producing work for rural audiences produce a biennial festival called Upstix - This festival took place recently in Northumberland in the UK. International guests included The Galilee Multicultural Theatre, an integrated theatre from Israel with Arabic and Jewish artists working together - and a young company from Lithuania called Open Circle - whose work explores the life experiences of its young performers in a powerful and moving way. The festival organisers plan to expand and extend the International component in the next Upstix which will take place in 2010.