A FEAST of more than 300 events exploring the rich culture, creativity, and history of the East End kicks off this week. The third annual East Festival will see performances, exhibitions, concerts and lectures taking place at 50 venues across east London

A FEAST of more than 300 events exploring the rich culture, creativity, and history of the East End kicks off this week.

The third annual East Festival will see performances, exhibitions, concerts and lectures taking place at 50 venues across east London in the six-day festival which starts on Thursday and runs until Tuesday, March 10.

The festival, organised by the Mayor of London, will involve various cultural organisations across the East End and will take place in venues in The City, Shoreditch, Hoxton, Whitechapel, Spitalfields, Bethnal Green, Hackney and Stratford.

There will be free fashion swaps in Spitalfields Market on Saturday, March 7 as fashionistas try to beat the credit crunch while a rap and street dance-inspired version of the Pied Piper will play at the Barbican for the entire length of the festival.

Jazz saxophonist Courtney Pine will play at Stratford Circus on March 8 and history buffs can get a lesson on London's oldest synagogue, Bevis Marks on March 9.

Cycle East gives the chance to explore what's on offer in the East End, by using different modes of transport including bikes to sample a range of high quality performances at diverse venues across the East End.

In Cycle East, audience members will bike between venues in Hackney and the East End to watch shorts by east London playwrights including Steven Berkoff and David Eldridge, performances by Mercury Music Prize nominees Portico Quartet and vocal ensemble Helen Chadwick Group.

There will be three shows at each venue, the Arcola Theatre in Dalston, St John-at-Hackney Church in Lower Clapton Road and Toynbee Studios in Spitalfields on Sunday, March 8 at 1pm, 3pm, 5pm.

Full programme details for all the East events are listed on the website at www.visitlondon.com/events/east