Bin Bot, made from 33 pink wheelie bins, will be on show at the event.

This weekend normality will slip away from a historic street in Islington to make way for a colourful flurry of artistic invention.

The two-day Whitecross Street Party will return for its third annual instalment on Saturday to transform the north London street scene into a living, breathing canvas.

Work from over 50 artists has been commissioned to line the street over the weekend, where it will stay throughout the Olympic period until September 9.

The weekend extravaganza marks the launch of Rise of the Nonconformists, the name given to the summer-long exhibition of street art by event co-founder and curator Teddy Baden.

Elaborating on his concept of bohemian celebration, Teddy said: “In the past this was a famous nonconformist area which was outside the city walls, where dissidents and nonconformists hung out.

“People have said it’s a Mecca for street artists, it is a little hidden gem in between trendy Shoreditch and the City.”

Besides the street art which will line the road, visitors this weekend will be able to enjoy a range of creations from sculptures on rooftops to inflatable art and kinetic sculpture.

There will also be up to 20 artists painting live on the street over the two days, as well as theatre, dance and music performances.

Organisers have also managed to secure the attendance of crowd-drawing attractions such as Paka, a full-size, robotic fire-breathing horse and Bin Bot, an imposing robot consisting of 33 pink wheelie bins.

Whitecross Street Market, the daily heartbeat of the road, will be running throughout the weekend on a grander scale than ever, with foods from around the world and arts and craft stalls.

Art enthusiasts will be excited to learn that original work from acclaimed American artist Shepard Fairey, famed for designing the iconic Barack Obama Hope poster during the 2008 US presidential election, will be on show, as well pieces from Teddy, a respected street artist himself.

He said: “The street was a little bit dilapidated and the council wanted to bring this street back to its former glory, it’s London’s oldest market street.

“This year there is going to be a lot more to see and a lot more to do.”

To find out more about the Whitecross Street Party, go to www.wxstreetparty.co.uk.