Before the week is out...Watch this

IF YOU'RE after a (bite-sized) slice of high culture on the cheap, Birmingham is the place to head to this week. The Royal Shakespeare Company, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Birmingham Royal Ballet are among the 80 organisations performing free on the city's streets as part of Artsfest 99. Each performance lasts only 30 minutes so you can enjoy a little of everything, from jazz to a live link-up to the Proms. Just the ticket for the short-attention-span generation.

Artsfest 99, 10-12 September, Chamberlain Square, Centenary Square, Broad Street and Brindley Place, Birmingham B1 (tel: 0121 685 2600).