Brighton is often lauded in the industry press for its forward-thinking approach to the creative arts. The best of that left-field spirit is on show this week with Soundwaves Festival, “an alternative world of cutting-edge new-music, sound-art and partici-patory experiences”, opening tonight, and a few of other events slightly adrift of the mainstream.

Based at the Sallis Benney Theatre, Jubilee Library and in Jubilee Square until Sunday, Soundwaves features sound experimentalists, visual artists and musical pioneers.

It was started by Claudia Molitor and Patrick Harrex four years ago to focus on new, contemporary, classical music, and to put on unusual acts in unusual venues.

DJ Gabriel Prokofiev, inspired by techno, grime, baroque and the avant-garde, opens the festival tonight at 6.30pm before ordinary objects, toys, lo-fi electronics and other natural sounds are transformed into music by Tim Parkinson and James Saunders, who will be joined by The Don of modern clarinet, Andrew Sparling.

Traditional instruments are the inspiration for The Harp Sounds, with sonic conjurer Rhodri Davies due to improvise a mind- boggling array of sounds.

The free events begin on Saturday and give visitors a chance to get involved. The Musical 100 Metres, a chamber opera based on the best 100m running times, features a series of performances on the hour every hour, from noon till 5pm, in Jubilee Square, with a participative public installation.

The Travelling Sounds Library by Andy Field is an installation which features a series of hollowed-out hard-back books containing an mp3 player and a programme. Together these books travel the country to galleries, festivals and theatres.

On Saturday, back in the Sallis Benney, a tag team of performers including London Sinfonietta, Simon Pyke, Mikhail Karikis, Apartment House and Micachu will attempt all 193 pages of Cornelius Cardew’s infamous graphic score, Treatise, while a new festival commission by eminent minimalist and experimental musician Christopher Fox will be complemented by virtuoso violin solos from Darragh Morgan on Sunday.

To close the festival there will be screenings of films made by staff and students from the University Of Brighton.

*For info on shows, for which tickets are sold individually, visit http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/ soundwaves/festival