Festivals revel in your time this summer & autumn
creative talent revealed plus art trails & open studios galleries, exhibitions & art fairs live music & theatre book reviews & poetry creative courses & workshops
south downs and high weald : issue 44: summer 2024
spotlight on: festivals visual arts & contemporary crafts art trails & open studios performing arts poetry, prose & illustration creative courses & workshops coda
who’s who & what’s what
editor Gill Kaye editor.ingenue@gmail.com sales & marketing Roger Kaye roger.ingenue@gmail.com 07583 944546 subscriptions subscribe@ingenuemagazine.co.uk online www.ingenuemagazine.co.uk
Athene Roberts of 3 Daft Monkeys performing at the Bearded Theory Arts Festival in 2018. The band are playing various festivals and gigs across our region throughout this summer. Visit www.3daftmonkeys.co.uk for more info. Image: WENN.com.
Greetings dear reader, welcome to summer 2024!
Well, what a summer so far. With unpredictable weather and politics both at home and abroad it is a comfort to know that those stalwarts of society – artists and creatives of all kinds – are still working hard to turn the tide towards creative aesthetic experiences for us all. We've seen a lot of brilliant art trails, open studios and art fairs so far this year, with more to come.
We are now getting into festival season proper, with music of all genres being celebrated. Our lead feature provides just a snapshot of the festivals both across our region and beyond. But the scope of what can be included in a festival is as wide ranging as people's interests. A music festival isn't just about music – there are often art displays, workshops or other participatory events on offer; any folk festival will have folk dancing, morris sides and craft stalls; with literary festivals there are talks, walks and dramas; then there's the Loxwood Joust, which is a law unto itself!
Outdoor theatre now comes into its own, with such companies as Rainbow Shakespeare, This Is My Theatre and Illyria treading the boards in a multitude of venues, from purpose-built amphitheatres to ancient churches and sweeping lawns. Armed with a picnic and all the paraphernalia needed when encountering an English summer evening – from sunscreen to scarf and insect repellent to umbrella – there's nothing better than spending time with like-minded souls enjoying live theatre. Kudos to those hard-working players whose passion is to punctuate our lives with tales to lift us from the everyday; recognising that passion is so important. At a time when funding is being cut and opportunities that were once expected being withdrawn, it is incumbent upon us as theatre lovers to support local live theatre, in all its forms. As 'entertainment' is streamed hourly into our homes, hypnotising our society and encouraging indolence, it is important to remember that the art of story-telling, live and tangible, between human beings, is probably as old as fire itself. It is as much to do with connecting with our fellows as it is creating and imagining other worlds and realities.
"if it's not in ingénu/e ...it's not
As usual I am knocked out by the sheer quantity and quality of the creative endeavours that I encounter while putting together our little magazine. I should be used to it after eleven years, but it never gets old. The sheer imagination, not to mention commitment and determination, to create something for others to enjoy, to lift their spirits or transport them to another imagined reality for a short while – it just humbles me. Thank you to all the artists, makers, writers, performers, musicians who consistently make our society a better place – and to all those in the background, helping to make it happen, supporting their partner as they beaver away in their workshop/studio/writing den; managing performance spaces, ticket sales, promotion; or just offering encouragement when needed. These too are the unsung heroes of our creative world.
Read on and immerse yourself!
–Gill Kaye, editor
There was a recent study that found that folk dancing was one of the most life-affirming things you can take part in. So come to Folk Week and dance your socks off and boost your serotonin levels!
The first ceilidh of the 59th Broadstairs Folk Week is with the Hill Top Ceilidh band from Kent. There’s a special Gentle Ceilidh, for folks diagnosed with dementia and their carers.
The ever-popular Fancy Dress Ceilidh with Banter has a sci-fi theme, so expect to see various aliens, Mr Spock or the Terminator doing Strip the Willow.
A great way of exhausting the children is the Family Lunchtime Ceilidh. And there are two Silent Ceilidhs – one for 10 to 17-year-olds. As an onlooker, you are confronted with spectacle of people dancing with headphones, apparently in complete silence. But they are listening to their choice of soundtrack, could be folk or pop music, and the dance instructions too.
Folk Week goes techno with the band Bearded Dragons. You’ll need some fluorescent jewellery to get the full effect and maybe dancing in the dark for a while! Other top ceilidh bands include the Monster Ceilidh Band, the Brown Boots Boogie Band, and the Juniper Band.
There are workshops in all styles of dance –Bollywood, Belly Dancing, Lindy Hop, European folk, Medieval, Maypole and Appalachian clogging.
For full information and the souvenir programme visit www.broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk
above: Red Priest will be performing at Brighton Early Music festival; below: Vijyata Pandit Bollywood Dance Workshop at Broadstairs Folk Week
There has been exciting news at Brighton Early Music festival recently. First, BREMF 2023 project The Whispering Dome had won a REMA European Early Music Award for best extra European project, presented in Stockholm on 5th June.
Following this came the announcement that BREMF's co-founder and artistic director Deborah Roberts had been made a Medallist of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) in the King's Birthday Honours.
The Festival has become something of an autumn landmark in the city, and returns for 2024 with the theme of Connections that the Festival will be exploring from a musical, historical and cultural perspective.
The Festival kicks off on 7th September with a series of pre-festival events offering audiences the opportunity to take part in workshops for singers and instrumentalists, as well as to bring children or grandchildren to enjoy family concerts with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
The main Festival runs from 11th to 27th October, and features the best early music performers from the UK and Europe. Highlights include Red Priest with their unique, irrepressible take on baroque; Forgotten Scarlatti masterpieces with Armonico Consort; Origins featuring music, dance and stories from around the globe; the music of Hildegard of Bingen with a 21st century lightshow; and a rare performance of Carissimi’s Jephte. There are several daytime events as well as evening concerts.
See www.bremf.org.uk for full programme details and to join the mailing list. Tickets on sale for Festival Friends on 29th July, and public sale on 7th August.
wonderfully varied festival sparks up on 10th July heralding a hugely stimulating fortnight of classical, jazz, contemporary and world music events alongside great comedy and family orientated sessions.
Although most events take place in Petworth itself, Artistic Director Stewart Collins points out that there are festival events in many locations from Fittleworth in the east to Midhurst in the west. “I’m thinking that everyone is looking for a lift at the moment given what’s been going on in the news, and our three evenings in residence at Midhurst’s Rother College are particularly upbeat. I’m pretty confident, for example, that our comedy night with Mark Watson and Mark Simmons is going to provide several doses of absolutely the right medicine. Both should really be available on the NHS!”
The other Rother College nights feature variously Incognito’s stunning Vanessa Haynes – who celebrates the many hits of Aretha Franklin – and the genuine rock star that is Roachford, the multi-instrumentalist
who’s had hits in his own right as well as being front man with Mike and the Mechanics.
In contrast, remarkable pianist Joanna MacGregor performs with the Brighton Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble at St Mary’s Church on 13th July. In fact the church hosts all the festivals classical programme.
And of course there is the autumn’s Literary Festival to look forward to from 23rd October to 3rd November, another delight in itself.
Visit www.petworthfestival.org.uk/whats-on/
3rd to 6th October
This year's festival includes singers and musicians ranging from teenagers to well-known performers in their 70s. One of the many highlights will be a rare solo performance appearance by Ken Wilson who, until a couple of years ago, sang with his four brothers in The Wilson Family. As well as appearing at festivals and folk clubs nationwide Ken has performed at The Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms and worked and performed with Sting on 'The Last Ship' project, which included a trip to New York to launch the CD and perform at eleven shows at the Public Theatre. In 2017, along with his brothers, he was awarded the prestigious English Folk Dance and Song Society`s Gold Badge for services to the folk scene.
One of the younger groups appearing will be The James Kerry Trio. James comes from Kent and is already an established member of the modern English folk scene. He is well known for his passionate, rhythmic playing rooted in folk dance tradition. He has played extensively in the morris and ceilidh circuits and was a founder member of Foot Down and the Hilltop Ceilidh Band. His new album, Source, was inspired by a love of rivers and his move onto a boat, nature and the countryside. Source relates to the beginning, the source of river and the beginning of James' solo career.
Visit www.tenterdenfolkfestival.org.uk
TheTown Centre and Seafront areas of Bognor Regis will be feasting on a fantastic array of great music, dance, and much more.
A superb offering of free entertainment for locals and visitors to enjoy includes the hugely popular Southdowns Ukulele Festival, the third scintillating 'Shanty Showdown', the Southdowns Dance Festival with a host of colourful dance groups, the new Southdowns Beer & Cider Festival, the Rising Stars Music Stage, fascinating craft and market stalls, great music sessions, choirs, workshops, children’s entertainments and free events at eight different venues.
www.southdownsfolkfest.co.uk for more details.
The UK’s most spectacular immersive festival; The Loxwood Meadow, Loxwood, West Sussex RH14 0AL 3rd/4th, 10th/11th, 17th/18th August
The Loxwood Joust Declares New Feasts, Workshops, Entertainment and Intrigue be set for the Celebration of the Boar.
With a feast fit for a queen, join nobility at the Loxwood Joust’s Royal Banquet to experience a mediæval-inspired dining extravaganza. Attended by the Queen of Loxwood herself, the Kingdom’s chefs have announced a sumptuous new menu to tempt and tantalise the most discerning of palates. With four meats and an array of salads and accompaniments to compliment, the magnificent banquet would not be complete without a delectable dessert too.
As a special banquet guest you will be entertained and inveigled in the Loxwood story by the Bards and wandering minstrels 'Imagine Flagons', along with many other colourful characters from around the Kingdom. Partake in the toasts and parlour games, but do pay attention as you could be enticed into part of the
action as the plot thickens!
For those that just wish to immerse themselves in all the Kingdom of Loxwood has to offer, there is much to see and do. With full contact jousting, falconry displays, court jester entertainment, witch’s rune reading and medieval torture shows, the festivities are bountiful.
Sheltered in a shady glade, the Woodland Stage will also be hosting the internationally renowned Mediæval Bæbes on the first weekend, and the magnificent pagan folk band Trobar de Morte on the second and third weekends.
And take up the chance to make your own forged steel creation, a copper bowl or bangle, or to learn the craft of chainmail to create your own chainmail bracelet. With ten unique workshops that include craftwork, sword and archery skills and nature-based ceremonies such as mediæval handfasting and friendship ceremonies, there really is something for all ages and interests.
In addition, for those camping on the Loxwood Joust’s new third weekend, the festivities extend into the evening, with more entertainment and revelry deep into the night. You may even spot the Kingdom of Loxwood's characters at the Live Comedy night on Friday 16th, or enjoy the live band Captains Beard on Saturday 17th. A unique camping experience is truly guaranteed.
The Loxwood Joust is excellently located just off the B2133 between Wisborough Green and Loxwood with ample parking. Tickets are now on sale and workshops, camping, parking and banqueting experiences must be booked in advance when booking tickets at loxwoodjoust.co.uk.
Lewes Baroquefest is a summer festival of seven concerts in historic St Michael’s Church in Lewes, East Sussex, culminating on Saturday 20th July in a performance of Bach’s magnificent Mass in B minor in Lewes Town Hall with Lewes/Brighton-based Baroque Collective Singers, the Purcell Singers from London, and the outstanding baroque specialist musicians of The Baroque Collective directed by John Hancorn. Our exceptional soloists are Alexandra Kidgell, soprano; mezzo soprano Bethany Horak-Hallett, tenor Sebastian Hill and baritone Ben McKee.
Cornwall Folk Festival, now on its 51st outing in Wadebridge, North Cornwall, mixes national and regional acts in an intimate, town centre celebration of music and friendship over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
The evening Town Hall concerts see Bristol’s Tarren paired with rising Cornish stars True Foxes, the powerful vocals of Daphne’s Flight with Devon duo Suthering, and sublime musicianship from Lady Maisery with Bude powerhouse James Dixon and Devon’s Detta Kenzie who creates original songs alongside reworking ancient Celtic music.
Plus your chance to try the latest Cornish dance craze – Nos Lowens!
The Betjeman Sessions have one evening of two great Cornish songwriters Richard Trethewey and Annie Baylis, and another with national treasure Reg Meuross.
Daytime, hang out at the outdoor FAR stage, where young soloists (such as Martha Woods) to some of Cornwall’s finest folk-rock bands play backto-back slots. The pubs host sessions day and night, there’s free street music and dance, plus morning workshops. FAR Stage entry is very affordable, as are all the festival prices.
For more details visit CornwallFolkFestival.com
John Hancorn and Julia Bishop, founders and artistic directors of Lewes Baroquefest, bring together some of the UK’s most talented professional period instrumentalists for early and late evening concerts from Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th July at St Michael’s Church, Lewes. Highlights include violinist
Alison Bury performing solo Bach; young recorder virtuoso Daniel Swani and his ensemble; harpsichordist Jack Gonzalez-Harding, guest harpsichordist with Red Priest at our 2023 Festival, performing Bach’s ‘Goldberg Variations’; Laura Piras and David Wright with a musical tour of
Europe for baroque flute and harpsichord; and Julia Bishop and Paula Chateauneuf explore 17th Century repertoire for violin and lute.
For more information visit thebaroquecollective.org.uk
Summer and autumn dates
The theme for this year’s Shoreham Wordfest reflects the changes, challenges and opportunities ahead, and the important role for literature and the arts in steering us through choppy waters.
There is a great deal to enjoy and celebrate in our festival programme – luminaries such as Caroline Lucas, Kate Mosse and Hugh Bonneville, the return of Fatal Shore Crime Writing day led by Elly Griffiths and William Shaw, and a new venture: Sussex Lost and Found, a whole day of social history talks.
We have our own “Scoop!” when Sam McAlister shares the inside story behind that infamous interview and many more. There will be an up to the moment discussion about international events focusing on Ukraine and the Middle East.
There are Ghostly Tales of Sussex in the ancient Marlipins Museum and two dramas featuring fearless mould-breaking women: Pretty, Witty Nell and Tiptree. Murray Lachlan Young will entertain us with a family show and an evening of riotous comedy. We also welcome Joseph Coelho, former Children’s Laureate.
There are many more talks, walks, music, song and poetry. We aim to have something for all interests and all ages, so please dive into our brochure and see what appeals to you.
Tickets and further information can be found at www.shorehamwordfest.com/what-on
20th at Great Ballard School (Eartham House), Chichester sees The Festival of Chichester’s closing Classical Concert. The Stradivarius Piano Trio welcomes you to hear Faure, Beethoven and Elgar with a glass of Nyetimber in the beautiful Luyten’s designed Eartham House, which inspired artist Romney, poet William Hayley and the sculptor Flaxman.
You will be enjoying movements from Faure’s 'Piano Trio in D minor' Opus to mark the centenary of his passing. Beethoven’s 'Spring Sonata Op.24' and 'Archduke Trio Op.97', and favourite tunes 'Salut d’Amour', 'Chanson de Nuit' by Sir Edward Elgar.
And the following day, 21st July, there will be Jazz & Virtuoso Strings at Nuthurst Church in Horsham. Expect to hear such classics as 'Summertime', 'East of the Sun', 'I’m in the mood for love', 'Everything happens to me', 'Just Friends' and many more!
26th July at the 180° Bar and Kitchen, Haywards
Heath, Andrew Bernardi and Friends are joined by acclaimed Indian Tenor Anando Mukerjee, to bring us The American Songbook.
And on 1st September The Great American Songbook returns to Warnham Park, Horsham.
And finally, on 8th November the festivals ends in style with the NFU Nyetimber 2024 Shipley Arts Festival Review. Complimentary for the Festival Friends and Sponsors, this evening includes a look back at the many highlights from our 2024 season, including live music from String Academy, canapés and music, all set in the fabulous Medieval Barn on the Nyetimber Estate. New friends are welcome as well as the chance to reunite with old friends.
https://bernardimusicgroup.com/events
The festival once again offers a wide range of events in what will be their 18th year. This annual event in September represents a celebration of both professional and amateur talent, creativity and imagination centred in the market town of Hailsham and its surrounding area. Events include art, music, dance, drama, creative writing, poetry and film.
This year’s Festival celebrates the one year anniversary of the unveiling of ‘The Artists’ Bridge’ (formerly known as Eastwell Place Bridge) which opened on 9th September 2023, giving a new lease of life to the previously unloved, graffiti-covered bridge.
The highly regarded Art Trail has grown in strength and diversity since its inception in 2007, and is a rich showcase for local artistic talent and skill. Working in partnership with Hailsham Artists' Network, a wide range of artists are included in venues across the area.
The arts represent a vital component of our culture, enriching our community and creating a vibrant landscape from which we all benefit.
For more info visit https://hailshamfestival.co.uk
Alison Bury • Laura Piras & David Wright
Julia Bishop & Paula Chateauneuf
Jack Gonzalez-Harding • Daniel Swani Bach: Mass in B minor with The Baroque Collective Singers, The Purcell Singers & The Baroque Collective directed by John Hancorn
lewesbaroquefest.org
7TH - 22ND SEPTEMBER
A World Class Arts Festival in the South Downs
Tarren Reg Meuross
Bagas Fellyon Annie Baylis Suthering Du Glas
James Dixon True Foxes Richard Trethewey
Detta Kenzie Stowes Finley Bray Blue Badgers
Jackson’s Claret Annown Martha Woods
Smokin’ Pilchards River Blue Toby Webb +
Craft In Focus is returning to the stunning setting of Hever Castle & Gardens from 12th to 15th September with 180 exhibitors. Admission to the garden also gives admission to the Contemporary Craft Fair and reduced priced tickets can be purchased online in advance (before 6th September) using discount code CRAFT2024.
The event offers a perfect opportunity to view, engage with and purchase work from professional, contemporary craftmakers and artists who will be showing a wide range of work including home accessories and interior products, artwork, textiles, glassware, jewellery, garden art and furniture, ceramics, fashion, sculpture, metalwork and much more! Exhibitors have been selected from amongst the very best and come from throughout the UK.
Craft In Focus has always been at the forefront of promoting the best of the UK’s designer makers and their events have been placed above all other shows of their kind by The Independent.
Organiser Rob Chapman says, “We are delighted to be returning to the beautiful setting of Hever Castle which makes an ideal backdrop for an event of this calibre. Our event is a high-quality contemporary craft fair, and exhibitors and visitors appreciate the fact that we keep our standards high and have stuck with our principles of only allowing work made by the exhibitor to be presented with no bought-in, mass-produced or imported work. This has really set us apart from many other craft fairs.”
The event will be held in semi open-sided marquees within the award-winning Hever Castle Gardens set in 125 acres of glorious grounds with the backdrop of the historic castle – the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. A visit will make an interesting day out for everyone as it includes
demonstrations which will give visitors an insight into the creative processes. There’s also live music and various options for food and drink. Children can enjoy the fabulous adventure playground while visitors of all ages can enjoy the challenge of finding their way through the Water Maze and the 100-year-old Yew Maze.
For further information contact Craft In Focus 01622 747325 or visit www.craftinfocus.com
Venue address: Hever Castle, Hever Road, Hever, Edenbridge, TN8 7NG. www.hevercastle.co.uk.
Sally Smith playing with colour and pattern
at The Botanical Art Fair
Sussex Prairie Garden 20 & 21 July
@sallysmithart | Etsy: SallySmithStudio
Rachel Hammel botanical artworks
an interesting fusion between art and science
exhibiting at The Botanical Art Fair, Sussex Prairie Garden 20th & 21st July
@southdownsartist www.southdownsartist.co.uk
exhibiting her floral paintings at the Botanical Art Fair
Sussex Prairie Garden
Morlands Farm, Wheatsheaf Road, Henfield, West Sussex BN5 9AT 20th & 21st July, 11.00-17.00
@bryony.hill.37 www.bryonyhill.com
to see, talk to, and purchase original art straight from the artists themselves.
There will be refreshments from The Gorilla Kitchen, The Syrian Kitchen and Robin with his Cocktail Cart, alongside Sussex Prairies own wonderful cakes, teas and coffee.
Music will provided by a jazz band on Saturday and The Rock Choir on Sunday.
Open from 11am-5pm. Dogs are welcome.
Admission (including entrance to the gardens): Adult £12, Child £6. Season ticket and RHS members 20% discount: £9.60. Free Parking
Sussex Prairie Garden, Morlands Farm, Wheatsheaf Road, Henfield BN5 9AT. Further information can be found at www.sussexprairies.co.uk.
Here is a taste of some the the artwork you can expect to see at the Botanical Art Fair.
Sussex Prairie Garden is hosting an exciting new Botanical Art Fair, with Original Art, Prints, and 3D from the wealth of creative talent in Sussex, from both emerging and established artists, all with a great passion for botanicals.
Painting, Photography, Print, Textile, Ceramics, Glass and Silver art will all be represented in exciting and original ways in a relaxed setting, with the nature and the colours of Sussex Prairie Gardens as the perfect backdrop. This is an excellent opportunity
Bryony Hill was born in Sussex and after living in France and London returned to her home county where she gardens, writes and paints at every opportunity. Always ready to experiment with different media and techniques she enjoys painting the flowers and country views from her kitchen window as often as possible. This year Bryony was delighted to find that her mono print portrait of her greatnephew has been accepted by the Royal Academy for the Summer Exhibition 2024. Bryony is looking forward to meeting up with like-minded souls at the Botanical Art Fair at the Sussex Prairie Gardens in July and also to find inspiration in their artworks. Visit www.bryonyhill.com for more about Bryony and her work; follow on social media @bryony.hill.37
Artwork by, top left: Vicky Mappin; left: Hattie Lockhart Smith; above: Bryony Hill, Long border with grasses opp top: Rachel Hammel, Smoke Bush Leaf opp right: Annaïck Guitteny, Hosta
Flore & Eau was set up by Annaïck Guitteny to offer a range of botanical prints and greeting cards. Annaïck is a garden and flower photographer whose work is regularly published in garden magazines. She is fascinated by the intricate beauty of plants and loves to reveal their array of details in close-ups. These take centre stage in her personal work with images converted to black & white and often toned, such as the ‘Dew’ series which focuses on plants adorned with droplets of water. This collection includes images which won the Portfolio category in the IGPOTY competition earlier this year. In 2023, her ‘Opening Up’ series, which gathers together close-ups of flower buds to highlight their architectural design, was exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery as part of the RHS Botanical & Photography Show. She prints most of her work herself on an archival photo rag paper. Annaïck will be taking part in the Botanical Art Fair at Sussex Prairie Garden on the 20th and 21st of July where she will bring open and limited edition prints, framed work as well as her extensive range of greeting cards. Her various collections of prints and cards can be purchased from her website www.flore-eau.co.uk
“Growing up in the Shropshire countryside instilled in me a deep love of the natural world”.
Adultlife may have planted Rachel Hammel in urban spaces, including New York City, but in 2019, (after a career of fifteen years working in educational design) she decided it was time for a change. It was time to step away from office working culture and to express her love of nature by creating art.
The natural beauty of the South Downs provides Rachel with the inspiration for her captivating botanical artworks. Using oil-based media she captures the biodiversity of the chalk downlands and the intricate life of its plants, often focussing on the place of nonnative species in this environment.
“As a city or town dweller I have always sought out the still spaces of gardens and parks alongside the thriving arts culture of urban communities as a way of exploring my connection to nature.”
The importance of observing nature as a means of understanding its beauty is a key part of Rachel’s botanical art. She works in oil-based media to explore the structure of plants. This creative approach is a fusion between art and science that she believes promotes a better understanding of our environment.
Rachel is currently working towards the prestigious Society of Botanical Arts diploma in Botanical Art and developing an art practice from her studio in Winchester. Located on the edge of the South Downs National Park and the butterfly fields of Magdalen Hill Down there is constant scope for inspiration and learning.
@southdownsartist www.southdownsartist.co.uk
Sally Smith is a Brighton based painter who makes bright colourful still life paintings of objects and plants. She plays with colour and pattern and produces paintings both in oils and acrylic. Her paintings also depict the treasures in her home; gifted, inherited, or found. Pots of flowers, leafy succulents that have interesting shapes, crockery, and small ornaments. The objects that she uses often have a personal connection with her past. Evoking memories of loved ones and places visited.
Sally is a member of Chalk Gallery, Lewes and you can see her work at The Botanical Art Fair at The Sussex Prairie Gardens, where she will be selling her paintings of plants and all things botanical. More at www.chalkgallerylewes.co.uk @sallysmithart | Etsy: SallySmithStudio Email: sally8smith@me.com
Sandy Infield was launched onto the London scene after graduating from The Slade School of Fine Arts, exhibiting in top Cork Street Galleries her large oils inspired by Greek myths and the human form in nature. In 2002 she moved to Vietnam where she was inspired by myth, legend and Buddhism, explored lacquer work, and partnered in a travelling installation with the British Council. Moving to Indonesia she studied the ancient technique of batik and had a solo exhibition of her innovative dye-painted batiks in the cultural capital, Jogjakata.
Sandy said, “I loved Asia, immersing myself in the cultures and art forms. My work changed. I now integrate batik, painting and block printing. The patterns
in Asian art are inspiring. They seem to reflect the patterns of the landscape, the contours of terraces and paddy fields, punctuated by temples and pagodas. Pattern has a language of its own, communicating on different levels, revealing our subconscious minds. I see the patterns of our gardens, woods, fields, hills and streets and use them to tell stories hidden in my work.”
www.sandyinfield.com www.blackshedstudios.com
Put the date in your diary now as this year’s Horsham Artists Contemporary Art Fair showcases work by more than forty members and promises to be an inspiring event.
Visitors to last year’s event commented on the quality and variety of work on display, and many local art lovers return to the fair each year.
Horsham Artists are a highly inclusive group, welcoming both professional and emerging artists. The work on display will range from oils, acrylics and watercolours, to sculpture, ceramics, jewellery and textiles, with artists happy to chat about their work.
If you are looking for a unique piece of art for your home or office, or for gifts, there will be a wide choice of items for sale with prices to suit all budgets. And whether you’re looking to buy – or just looking – all are welcome. Further details will be available nearer the time on the Horsham Artists website https://horshamartists.org/ where you can sign up for the Horsham Artists’ newsletter and follow Horsham Artists on Instagram and Facebook @horshamartists for up-to-the-minute news.
Brighton Art Fair returns to the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange in September 2024 for its 20th anniversary edition with over 100 exhibitors
This September welcomes back Brighton Art Fair for a special 20th anniversary edition. The city’s flagship contemporary art fair returns to the beautifully restored Brighton Dome Corn Exchange to show painting, photography, printmaking, 3D and mixed media works by over 100 artists from across the UK. Organised by Brighton duo Tutton & Young, Brighton Art Fair embraces the city’s reputation for incredible visual culture, presenting both emerging and established artists with a versatile showcase of works for sale ranging from £100 to £5,000.
Brighton Art Fair partners with DRAW Brighton this year, who will be offering theme life drawing workshops on each afternoon of the Fair, and CASS Art, who will hold a shop at the entrance.
special place right in the heart of our company. We are knocked out by the beauty of the restoration at Brighton Dome Corn Exchange and delighted to be back for, what promises to be, a spectacular 20th anniversary edition in 2024”.
Visit www.brightonartfair.co.uk for more details and follow on social media @tuttonandyoung.
Faye Bridgewater, 'Expand your Horizon', hand finished limited edition print 40x40cm.
Launched in 2004, Brighton Art Fair provides a great opportunity for visitors looking to invest in art or simply hang stunning original works on their walls.
Jon Tutton, Director of Brighton Art Fair says “Brighton Art Fair is where we started and has a
Kent-based landscape painter Hannah Buchanan is the new director of Benenden Art Fair. Thrilled to see the return of the fair this year, she says “we are coming back with a bang!”
With over twenty-five talented artists from Kent and Sussex, Benenden Art Fair aims to unveil and celebrate the abundance of artistic talent flourishing in the South East. Hannah's hope is to provide a professional yet friendly setting, fostering a sense of community support that welcomes artists of all backgrounds and experience levels.
“We have now selected our artists for Benenden Art Fair 2024 and I am so excited for this year’s line-up” says Hannah. “There will be a great range of work on display, from painting to printmaking, stitchwork to ceramics, jewellery, stone carving, collage and more!
“We have some wonderful partners working with us this year, including Benenden Hospital, Kingsford Solicitors and Biddenden Vineyards. It’s an honour to work with such established local businesses and
The prestigious Attic Art Club has been in existence now for over eighty-five years, developing from its humble beginnings in an attic in Ditchling, to a popular exhibiting club for local artists.
All members are elected judged on the quality of their work, maintaining the high standard of work shown.
The range of artists is wide, and currently include sculptors, wood workers and Glass artists as well as painters in various mediums.
Hagop Kasparian, long standing member, painter and teacher, reflected on how much he has appreciated membership of this club of artists that exhibit together celebrating the creative exchange of ideas and practice.
above: Claire Gill, Sea Lyme, digital photomontage
we are very grateful for their support.
“If you would like to learn more about our artists, event information and private view details, please subscribe to our newsletter at www.benendenartfair.com. See you in October!” The venue: Benenden Village Hall, The Street, Benenden, Kent, TN17 4DE.
Charlie Jones, the newest member in the club said, “Growing up obsessed with Quentin Blake’s artwork, I’m currently focusing on children’s book illustration. Joining the club has been a great opportunity to learn from artists with more experience and show my work”.
Karen Peters, as Treasurer, attends every exhibition and loves seeing visitors engage with the work, often finding a special piece for themselves or as a gift. “As artists it gives us great pleasure to feel our work is appreciated.”
The next opportunity to meet with and enjoy the work of the Artists will be at their exhibition on August Bank Holiday weekend in Ditchling, 24th to 26th August. See advert on facing page for more details.
below: Hagop Kasparian, Jack and Jill, watercolour
Emma Stibbon RA
9 May to 15 September 2024, Free Admission
Intensive weekend art workshops with artist and tutor, Cathy Bird MA
Watercolour Secrets of Success
Find out how easy it can be to bring this ‘difficult’ medium to life
27th - 28th July
Painting to Music A Mindful and Meditative Experience Treat yourself and Refresh
Gauguin Weekend
Journey to the Pacific with your paintbrush
17th - 18th August
Long Shadows, Mellow Colour and the falling leaves – capture the se ason
21st – 22nd September 26th - 27th October
www.weekendarting.co.uk
by Lesley Samms
In this issue we feature artist Jane Cordery. Jane describes herself as a process artist who works conceptually and who is interested in human frailty. She will be artist in residence at Bannatyne Hotel & Spa from 8th September to 1st December 2024.
Please could you tell us about where you grew up and your upbringing.
I was born in Surrey, in England, went to the local secondary school (the same one as Jimmy Page) and then went on to read History at Reading University. I was interested in many creative occupations from a young age and my father was very creative – he drew, painted and made clay and wood models – and encouraged me to draw and paint. He taught me perspective and we often painted or made clay models together. I didn’t take any art qualifications while at school despite being told I was 'good' at art. This was the result of a silent protest on my part to a careers teacher’s comment that the boys should do physics, as it would be good for their careers, whereas the girls could just do art as it didn’t matter for them; naturally I chose physics!
Did you have an interest in art as a child?
When I look back I can see the beginnings of most of my primary art practice in the roots of my childhood. When not socialising I was very happy to be on my own and nearly all my hobbies and occupations were based on creativity of some kind. My Nan lived with us for a
long while and she taught me sewing, knitting and other thread crafts. I think this is why my natural art practice has extended from drawing and painting into sculptural methods, often using thread.
Did you have a formal art education or are you self taught?
Despite having no formal education in art when I was young I did routinely attend a multitude of creative evening classes, under Adult Education, throughout my working life. I first took up formal art studies in my early 50’s.
Was there a person or a place in your past that influenced you or you feel set you on the journey to where you are now?
Aside from my father and husband – who were both very supportive of my art – the person who influenced me the most was my Art A-Level tutor in Adult Education who encouraged me to undertake my Fine Art degree. She also opened my eyes to abstraction.
What's the best thing about being an artist?
You are never really alone – physically you may be, but not in your head. Art is a life-long passion, one that seems to fill your waking hours and often your sleeping ones too! There is never any 'end', only new beginnings.
And the worst?
The frustrations to get it right and doubts that come alongside being an artist are constant – it is what drives you to improve. That and constantly updating social media and websites!
above: Jane Cordery in her studio with threadwork; left: Two Down, Twenty Two to Go; opp top: Eve; opp right: Bound, Unbound II
What has inspired or influenced you?
Absolutely everything inspires my art, from the colour of the sky/sea to the books I read, art exhibitions I see, conversations I am party to, actions of people I witness, politics and news reports from around the world etc. Being a conceptual artist who is interested in current, past and future human frailty just about everything feeds into my art.
Please tell us about your working environment. I need peace and quiet to work effectively. I find working near others distracting so I work at home, alone. I have an inside and outside studio, but frequently find the kitchen is where I choose to work.
Please tell us a little of the processes involved in making your art.
Foremost to my process is the idea (or concept) of something, normally related to my thoughts on a particular socio-political issue and often something currently in the news.
I am searching for what is overlooked, unobserved, unconsidered and how to express what I am thinking artistically. In the resulting work I am not seeking to be didactic, I just simply want viewers to consider my art and for it to raise questions.
Where are you finding ideas and inspiration for your work currently?
I do not focus absolutely on one issue at a time. My mind roves across many issues simultaneously and sometimes my sculptures are expressing multiple strands of ideas. However, my general focus at present is on how our communication patterns and behaviour have changed over time, especially since the rise of the internet and social media.
If you weren’t an artist what would you be?
A creative writer.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to make a living out of art?
It’s not easy to make a living out of art, it’s a very competitive environment. You have to be totally passionate about art and very,
very driven. If you are, do not let others put you off; you can do anything you want if you are determined enough, even if you do not have money.
To read this interview in full and for more information about Pure Arts Group please visit www.pureartsgroup.co.uk. For more about Jane and her work please visit https://janecordery.artweb.com/
The comprehensive directory established to help connect buyers directly with makers working in and around Lewes and Eastbourne, East Sussex.
Are you looking for the perfect hand-made gift or discover someone who is able to teach you a new skill? Perhaps you'd like to find a craftsperson who can repair a much-loved item? If so, then we encourage you to check out The Makers Directory...
The Makers Directory is a hyper-local directory of local makers and artists working in one astonishingly creative patch of Sussex. Searchable by discipline, location and service, it aims to showcase all the makers and artists working around Lewes and Eastbourne, and its mission is simply to enable you to discover, support and buy from them.
In the three short years that it has been running it has become something of a local phenomenon. Cofounder Corina said, “We always suspected that this was an unbelievably creative part of the world, but have still been surprised at how many makers and artists are at work tucked away in studios, sheds and workshops. 500+ of them are now listed on the Directory and we discover exciting new creatives every week.” themakersdirectory.co.uk | @themakersdirectory
Print in Time is looking to strike out in a new direction from its base as a town centre survivor, having been in East Grinstead for over 15 years.
Since Guy and Timi McQuade took over last year, it has continued in its dual role to service the local community. Firstly as a regular printing shop for leaflets, business cards, posters, house plans, T-shirts etc; and also trading as ‘You’ve Been Framed’ to provide
framing services for locals, art-lovers and artists alike.
But it is from having artists come into the shop, either for prints of their work or to have them framed, that the idea of an additional function was inspired: to sell artists’ prints in the shop, ones that Guy has come across in various places, but especially for local artists, both near and far to have an new outlet for selling their prints.
“I’d love to be able to display a load of local artists’ artworks, but if I tried to make the front of the shop into a gallery, it would probably be the smallest one in the world. But I can certainly have prints there to be browsed through, and judging by the high quality of work people have brought into the shop, I am sure they will be very popular” says Guy. “So any artists out there who’d like to have their prints here for sale, please get in touch.”
And as always for helpful service for your printing and framing needs, contact Guy or Timi on 01342 328653 or pop into the shop at 99 London Rd, East Grinstead RH19 1EQ. Follow @printintimesussex.
The internet has made buying art accessible to anyone. No longer does a brave potential buyer have to go to an art gallery where the silence of being observed by the gallery staff can be intimidating and where the choice of art is limited to what the gallery owner endorses. They can simply buy art from their home online. One of the falsities that have fallen away due to art becoming more accessible to all is what you should buy. Evaluations about whether the artist is ‘collectable’ or not or whether they are ‘any good’. Art snobbery can be left to art dealers and people investing in art that they might not even like. The rest of us want art that thrills us and will continue to make us happy for years to come whenever we look at it!
The point I am trying to make is do not be fooled by people who tell you what you should like. Just because an artist is dead or ‘accredited by an expert’ does mean it is good art (there is plenty of awful art around by accredited artists!). Instead, buy art from living artists that you love regardless of whether the artist is a ‘name’ or whether some expert says you should or not.
A final tip is that most artists have their own websites. If you see a piece of art that you like in an online gallery (of which there are thousands) – do a search for the artist's name and find their own website where you probably find the prices better and will ensure the artist gets to keep more profit!
01342 328653 07733 525997
email: printintime@hotmail.com @printintimesussex
Thank you! Gill Bustamante (an artist ) www.gillbustamante.com
M: 07815 036576
pictured top: Gill Bustamante, Spirited Away
After a wet winter and a chilly spring hopefully we will all be enjoying some wonderful summer weather to cheer everyone up by the time you read this.
In the little art gallery in West Wittering we always look forward to seeing our summer visitors, many new faces but also a lot of people who return each year. Although world wide travel has captivated most of us for many years, there are always the stalwarts who return as a family for many generations since their grandparents were children.
Our artists have all been busy during the winter and are starting to come in with their new creations. The art trails and other exhibitions are coming to an end leaving the galleries to be open all year round to display their work. We always have a wide range of work on display from small to large seascapes and landscapes of many styles and price ranges: printmaking, ceramics, glass for the garden and ornaments for
indoors; enamels on copper, silver and aluminium jewellery, textiles, prints and much more.
The gallery has now been open for over seven years and we are delighted to find people travel from far and wide when they are looking for that special gift or something to finish off their home refurbishment.
Visit www.thelittleartgallery.online for more details and opening times.
Celebrate a sizzling Summer at Shoreham Art Gallery with splashes of colour, tactile textures and things to make you smile.
An amazing and diverse selection of work by its twenty members plus guest artists and makers will be on show at our friendly gallery over the next few months. It's also a great time to see our lusciously blooming Sculpture Garden with its stunning sculptures and pots, with other pieces hidden and hanging among the shrubs and trees.
In July we showcase some wonderful work by multimedia maker Anna Twinam-Cauchi whose sculptural forms are inspired by walks along the River Adur, tidal movements and the visiting birds. The materials she uses are either reclaimed, unusual or from a sustainable source.
Glass artist Debbie Forsdyke is our August guest. She produces unique and colourful stained glass panels as well as hanging pieces using traditional tools, materials and techniques with a modern approach to this ancient craft. She also includes painted, fused and sandblasted glass to enhance textures and details.
In September, we are featuring ceramicist Tessa Wolfe Murray who works in
white earthenware clay to produce a range of beautiful vessels, wall pieces, jewellery and buttons.
For more about what’s going on at Shoreham Art Gallery, plus workshops and other events, visit www. shorehamgallery.co.uk/news/ or subscribe to our monthly newsletter. Situated just south of Shorehamby-Sea station, the gallery is open every day with a wide range of original work all very reasonably priced. We look forward to seeing you soon.
ArtSpring collective. Each artist has followed their own individual path, and works in a different way, but one thing unites them all – a desire to bring pleasure to the world.
“Pottery is definitely my happy place,” says ceramicist Jane Bridger. “Every day I’m in my studio, cup of coffee, radio on, up to my neck in clay. When I plump the clay down on the wheel I know exactly what I’m going to do, what shape I’m going to make. Happy!”
Printmaker Antonia Enthoven seconds that emotion. “It’s always been my therapy, my art” she says. “I love the feeling of getting completely lost in the process. And you’re just constantly learning about how you are seeing things and how you are interpreting life.”
Walking into the Artspring Gallery in Tonbridge is like walking into a warm sensory spring.
Wonderful colours, textures and translucent glass greet you. Stimulating paintings and prints catch your eye and innovative jewellery is there to tempt you. It’s all the work of the twelve talented painters, potters, jewellers, printers and glassworkers who make up the
As well browsing the art in the gallery, you can also see a wide selection of the artists’ work on the Artspring website – so if you love someone’s style and want to check out their work, it’s all there!
The Artspring members are: Anne McArdle, Antonia Enthoven, Claire Longley, Colin Anderson, Gillian Smith, Hilary Shields, Jane Bridger, Katie Whitfield, Marie Pearson, Paul Chave and Anna Clement
To Find out more visit: artspringgallery.co.uk
Chalk Gallery Lewes is proud to introduce you to four new member artists.
Vibrant and varied, they sum up what is best about our gallery: affordable and original art with the highest level of craftsmanship, all influenced by our beautiful surroundings here in Sussex.
First up is Kitty Cava, a printmaker, whose landscapes and figures within landscapes, suggest a peaceful, easy relationship with nature. The people she depicts indicate that they are just a part of the bigger whole. Next is Sally Goddard, a painter, whose expert use of oils brings rich and lush images of nature to the gallery's walls. Sandy Infield uses textile and paint; draping or inserting printed batik pattern across her landscapes: the two elements, pattern and landscape, informing each other and providing a strong universal narrative about the world we live in. And finally, Ros Lymer's abstract mixed media paintings relate to observed and imagined shapes and forms in the landscape, or to objects found in woods or by the sea; shells, stones, roots, or shadows and gaps.
All of these artists' works sit beautifully amongst our other members. We look forward to welcoming you to the Gallery this season.
Visit www.chalkgallerylewes.co.uk for more info.
The Lighthouse Gallery Eastbourne 19 Cornfield Terrace, BN21 4NS 07748354879. Open Tues-Sat 10am-5pm Find us on Facebook and Instagram original work by 25 local artists and makers fabulous coffee, cake and snacks unusual plant gifts life drawing and other classes & workshops
A contemporary gallery space between city and sea showcasing work by local artists. Gift vouchers available. Summer opening times in place, check website for details. We are always happy to open at other times by request. West Wittering, West Sussex PO20 8LT 01243 512218 • www.thelittleartgallery.online . the little art gallery .....
ArtSpring Gallery is an
showcasing
artspringgallery.co.uk Find us on social media: @artspringallery
An exhibition of work by Pennie Cunliffe-Lister and selected guest artists
20th June to 22nd September Friday to Sunday 12.00-6pm, late openings Thurs 12.00-8pm
Private view by invitation only @galleryat42 w: galleryat42.co.uk
www.galleryat42.co.uk.
Artist and gallery owner Pennie Cunliffe-Lister, believes that ‘Art is making your own Reality’.
Gallery@42 is a hub for imaginative and diverse art shows, welcoming both local and international artists. From showcasing the work of the late Alexander Sadlo and 'Talking Machines' with David Homewood to exhibiting the first show for local digital artist David Nokku, Gallery@42 offers a platform for artists of all genres. Recently, the gallery celebrated Women's History Month with forty participating artists from the UK and abroad.
The ethos of Gallery@42 is to help and encourage artists, across all age ranges, to express themselves and to find their audience. It’s a meeting place for creative minds to converse, facilitate, engage and showcase art in either solo or group shows.
Pennie’s creativity emerged at a very early age – after being told 'no!' to having more water in her sandpit, she emptied the contents of her parents' cocktail cabinet into her bucket, creating the world’s most expensive sandcastle. Following this she created murals with fruit, painted a white carpet with red lipstick and her cousins with nail polish. Pennie has always had her hands dirty with paint.
At 65, she obtained her BA (Hons) in History of Art and Screen Media at Birkbeck University, London, discovering a love for the films of Isaac Julien. Her thesis was on Ai Weiwei, which brought about a dramatic change in her approach to her own art practice.
Admiring the works of English Impressionist Alfred Sisley, Gustav Klimt’s flower meadows, the glorious cut-outs of Matisse, her art explores nature, her immediate environment, using colours to match her emotional connection, mingling life and art through varied techniques. Pennie is also an experienced trompe l’oeil muralist and illustrator, and passionately supports children's charities Lifeline4kids.org and Variety, working closely with families and fundraising for children with PMLD.
Having her own gallery has been Pennie’s long-held dream and Gallery@42 gives her the perfect opportunity to work with and promote artists, establishing a creative community. Gallery@42 is for all, everyone is welcome to visit and there is wheelchair access if required. Just phone ahead on 07703 452554. Opening hours are Thursdays 12.00 to 8pm, Fridays to Sundays 12.00 to 6pm. (see advert opposite for further details)
Forthcoming shows:
'Trees and Cooling Streams', which showcases Pennie’s extensive body of work on forests, canals and rivers, runs from 20th June to 22nd September. Pennie takes her inspiration from her everyday life, her family, her pets, Clarity – the family narrow boat, and now recently the new beach chalet.
Pennie’s Pet Portraits
A portrait celebrates the unique bond between us and our beloved pets who mean so much to us, so if you would like a pet portrait for yourself or for a loved one, please call Pennie or drop into the gallery Thursdays to Sundays to discuss. (see advert for details)
left: Mr Cook's Pathway; above: Blue Boat
Sat 15 Jun – Sun 29 Sept
Daily, 11am–3.30pm
Art exhibition by Mariusz and Kasia Kaldowski, inspired by the natural landscapes and garden at Nymans. NA
Fri 13 – Sun 15 Sept
Daily, 10am–4.30pm
A celebration of contemporary craft, heritage crafts and handmade wares with artist demonstrations. NA
Raynor Hadland, painting
John Mulligan, sculpture & assemblage
Kate Scott, painting
Judy Bould, painting
Jules Allan, painting
Karin Hay-White, collage & painting
Carol Wagstaff, painting and sculpture
Vee Pease, jewellery
Jackie Gordon, printmaking
Contact Raynor Hadland email curiouswhippet@icloud.com 07709837192 Carol Wagstaff info@carolwagstaff.co.uk 07831670261 or John Mulligan 07974933282 johnmulligan@gmail.com / or Kate Scott info@katescottpaintings.com 07719337676
QR code for artists_at_oakbank instagram account.
A celebration of contemporary craft, heritage crafts and handmade wares with artist demonstrations
Meet the Makers will be at Standen House and Garden this September where high quality artists and makers will be showcasing heritage craft and contemporary design.
Under the cover of a large marquee on the historic croquet lawn, meet makers from across a range of disciplines and find out more about their creative skills. See the artists at work with demonstrations of willow weaving and wood carving and find out more about other demonstrations on offer by checking the Standen website. Discover original artwork, ceramics, textiles, contemporary art and jewellery, all hand crafted by local artists and makers.
28th & 29th September and 5th & 6th October: 11.00am to 5pm
In this delightful wooded setting over looking the Downs, nine Sussex artists come together for a second time to show their work.
Meet the Makers will be at Standen Friday 13th September until Sunday 15th September between 10am and 4pm. Admission to Meet the Makers is included with admission to the Arts & Crafts garden, see advert on page 38. Standen House and Garden, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 4NE https://nationaltrust.org.uk/standen
This carefully curated exhibition is displayed in the bright modernist interior and gardens at Oakbank. We hope to amuse, delight, and possibly challenge!
We cordially invite you to come on one of the two weekends to see for yourself. There will be refreshments available and there is ample free parking at the venue.
We will be donating 10% of the proceeds of sales to St Barnabas Hospice in Worthing.
All the artists can be viewed online through websites or social media, find them via Instagram @artists_at_oakbank Oakbank, Chantry Lane, Storrington, West Sussex, RH20 4BU pictured: Oakbank's sunny garden and interior
“Oakbank is a magical setting. Inspiring space and beautiful selection of art.”
2024 sees Arundel Gallery Trail celebrating its 35th year with another increase in artist and maker numbers. It is still largely an event that takes place in and around the town centre making it walkable and easy to navigate. We also welcome a handful of venues further afield at Walberton, Binsted, Ford and Clapham, so please take time to visit them too.
There’s an emphasis on the work of makers this year, reflected by the refined and experimental weaving of our cover artist Ann Symes, who has been championing the cause of makers in her gallery for many years, establishing a reputation for curating highly regarded exhibitions. In addition, the Secret Makers Auction this year replaces the Secret Artist Auction, so instead of paintings, the 3D work of selected makers will be on offer, the principle remaining the same in that art lovers can bid silently, either online via the website or in person at the auction exhibition at the Victoria Institute on Tarrant Street.
Painters are still well represented
though, so among the ceramicists, jewellers, weavers, sculptors, glass artists, photographers, woodworkers, printmakers and textile artists, you will find many practitioners of the art of putting paint to canvas and all with strikingly different approaches.
The Trail takes place under the umbrella of Arundel Festival of the Arts with which it runs simultaneously from 17th to 26th August from 12.00 till 5.00 daily. You can pick up a free Trail Guide at every venue displaying the blue and yellow numbered flags or from many outlets in the town. Entry is free.
Our artists and makers will be on hand to discuss their work, much of which is for sale should you be looking for something to move or uplift you.
We very much look forward to welcoming you.
www.arundelgallerytrail.co.uk
@arundelgallerytrail
this page –from top
opp page from top:
Susie Olford
Arundel Gallery Trail
Summer is here, for Arundel it means Gallery Trail time. The pinnacle of walking Art Trails, compact and compelling. I will be exhibiting again courtesy of Arundel Cathedral (BN18 9AY) with gentle light flowing from high windows. I’m showing paintings with summer colours; some vibrant for the heat of the day, some of rough seas, some more restful for mellow evening light. Time for a glass of wine as the sun slips below the horizon.
My painting here, No Swimming Today, is definitely the rough sea category so please enjoy the sound of crashing waves. All part of painting moods of Sea, Land and Weather, but never sad moods. You are welcome to decide for yourself which painting suits your mood – wine or waves. Talking of wine, always on hand are my humorous wine cards.
My exhibition runs Saturday 17th to Monday 26th August, opening Monday to Saturday at 10.45, Sundays open 12.00, closing at 5.00pm every day. Visit arundelgallerytrail.co.uk where you can see several pieces of my work. My e-mail: smoart@btinternet.com
above: Susie Olford, No Swimming Today, oil, 30x30cm
Arundel Gallery Trail
Multi-media artist Karen Ongley-Snook, although successful in fields as diverse as silk velvet and anodised aluminium, is best known for her awardwinning glass creations. Karen has had a busy season already, participating in several open studios events, and this August will be showing her work at Josse Davis' studio as part of Arundel Gallery Trail. More info at www.ongley-snookdesigns.com
above: Karen Ongley-Snook, glass art
WestSussex jeweller Vee Pease will be taking part in Hampshire Open Studios with her painter mother, Ferelith Molteno. The artists will be exhibiting their work at North End Studios, Broughton, SO20 8AN, in the Romsey/Stockbridge area.
Ferelith Molteno has travelled extensively in India, drawing and painting the landscape and people wherever she goes. She paints predominantly in watercolour, using collage and pen and ink. Ferelith also produces handmade cards, often with an Indian theme, but also British scenes and still life.
Vee makes sterling silver jewellery with semiprecious stones. Any of her designs can be made in gold. She is inspired by the nature and changing seasons of the South Downs, where she walks regularly. Travelling in Pakistan, India, Turkey and Morocco have also influenced Vee’s designs.
As a child, Vee and her sister spent many happy hours painting, drawing and making with Ferelith. They still paint together whenever they can. The artists will be exhibiting in their garden studio from 17th to 26th August, 10am to 5pm every day.
www.vpjewellery.co.uk
Pease, Freshwater pearls & sterling silver necklace & earrings
Artists Open Houses is back this September 2024! Over two autumn weekends 21st/22nd and 28th/29th you can visit a range of venues to view and buy an eclectic array of incredible arts and crafts by our talented local artists.
There will be 45 venues including houses, studios and galleries based all around the Worthing area. All easily accessible using our simple map and venue guide. You can plan your route based on your location or by the artists you are keen to see.
Spend the weekend ambling from one location to the next. At each stop you will be able to discover a range of fabulous art and crafts, you can meet the
artists and be inspired by their stories and their talent. Added to this, you will have the opportunity to delight in the interiors and gardens of your neighbourhood homes, all of whom have thrown open their doors to welcome you to the treasures of the art trail. At these venues there will be the opportunity to view works of art and crafts by over 200 talented artists. Including (but not limited to) oil and water colours, textiles, photography, abstracts, ceramics, jewellery, feltwork, embroidery, and so much more. Much of the work will be available to buy, at prices to suit every budget. It’s a great opportunity to acquire a unique art piece for your home or choose a special gift for a loved one. Or simply treat yourself!
However, you don’t need to have money in your pocket to discover the artistic wonders on show this year – just curiosity, as the art trail is completely free and all are very welcome.
Maps of the trail will be available from Worthing Museum & Library, Colonnade House, West End Gallery, Montague Gallery, Gigglewick Gallery and East Beach Studios. You can also follow our social media updates at Worthing Artists Open Houses on Instagram and Facebook. Alternatively you can visit our website at www.worthingartistsopenhouses.com
A snapshot of what’s coming to
12th July
Lucy Pitman-Wallace, the award-winning director of productions for the RSC, Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Nottingham Playhouse, and Salisbury Playhouse, bring a fresh twist to Shakespeare’s beloved comedy.
Transport yourself back to the 1970s, the era of peace, love, and endless summer nights, in an enchanting outdoor setting, a perfect backdrop for this tale of love and laughter. Bring your friends and get ready to be transported to a world where romance and revelry reign supreme.
Romeo and Juliet
21st August 2024
Shakespeare masterfully explores the enduring power of love, revenge and fate in one of his best loved stories. But the surprising thing about this iconic tragedy is that it’s extremely funny too!
Performed by Illyria in the great outdoors, this fast paced, polished, beautifully spoken production has been created using only the First Folio text, the most authoritative edition of Shakespeare’s plays.
This is an outdoor performance in the amphitheatre which will go ahead in all weather conditions.
The Lion and the Unicorn : a radio play live on stage 6th October 2024
From the pen of Robin Hawdon, the Crime and Comedy Company present this compelling new play which is by turns epic and intimate, dramatic and
moving, and never less than enthralling throughout. The play also has a striking relevance to the modern day and as it asks the question, how far should one go to pacify a threatening dictator?
Presented as a radio-play-live-on-stage; the setting is a radio studio, the actors ready as if for a radio broadcast, and the sound effects created live on stage, all combining to transport the audience to wartime London.
Visit www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/the-hawth for full information.
8th July to 7th September
Freely adapted from Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist and revised by Cameron Mackintosh, this spectacular new production of Lionel Bart’s iconic musical has been reconceived especially for CFT by director and choreographer Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh and promises to be one of the most unforgettable shows ever at the Festival Theatre.
The orphaned Oliver escapes the harsh Victorian workhouse and takes refuge in London’s murky underworld with the wily gang leader Fagin and his team of resourceful pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger. He finds a friend in the kind-hearted Nancy and when he’s wrongly arrested for stealing, Oliver meets an unexpected saviour; but is happiness truly within his grasp?
With a sensational score, the Olivier, Tony and
Oscar-winning masterpiece vividly brings to life Dickens’ ever-popular story of the boy who asked for more.
Matthew Bourne is internationally renowned for reinventing classics including Swan Lake and Edward Scissorhands for his company New Adventures, as well as his Olivier Award-winning choreography for My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins (which he co-directed and also earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Choreography) and his recent acclaimed direction and musical staging of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends. Visit www.cft.org.uk for full information and what’s on at the theatre.
right: Chichester Festival Theatre, the cast of Oliver! Billy Jenkins, Simon Lipkin, Shanay Holmes, Aaron Sidwell. Photo by Matt Crockett
at Worthing’s Magical Highdown Gardens
9th to 21st July
Pack up those picnics and prepare yourselves for the summer magic that is Rainbow Shakespeare at Worthing’s Highdown Gardens.
“As a child, I was lucky enough to see Shakespeare at London’s Old Vic,” commented Director, Nick Young, “and I wanted Worthing audiences to gain the same love of the Bard as I got then. To tell the stories of the plays without
gimmicks and let the enchantment woo the audiences.”
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: 9th to 14th July
The play that draws audiences of all ages into its magic, fairies, lovers and buffoons. Simple workmen attempt to create an epic drama to entertain the Duke and Court at his wedding day celebrations; young lovers attempt to elope through a Greek Forest, where the King and Queen of the Fairies are at daggers drawn, and the mischievous Puck confuses everyone with his pranks.
The Winter’s Tale: 16th to 21st July
A good king becomes a jealous tyrant accusing his loving wife of being unfaithful with his best friend. In his madness he orders his baby daughter to be abandoned on a desert isle, believing the child is not his own. She is reared by shepherds and falls in love with the son of her father’s best friend. Finally, there is a family reunion, a miracle and act of forgiveness for the King’s redemption.
Tickets available through Worthing Theatres box office on 01903 206206 or wtm.uk or on the gate 90 minutes before each performance.
Visit www.rainbowshakespeare.co.uk for more details.
Legendary Irish folk music band
Dervish
4th August
Dervish,
one of Ireland’s best known traditional bands, received a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the BBC in 2019, a fitting tribute to the band after over thirty years of recording and performing all over the world, playing festivals from Rock in Rio to Glastonbury.
Their line-up includes some of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians, fronted by one of the country’s best-known singers, Cathy Jordan – regarded by many as the most distinctive voice and finest front-woman in Irish traditional music today.
The instrumental line-up of fiddle, flute, bouzouki, mandola, bodhran, and accordion draw from seemingly limitless depths of talent, finesse, subtlety and fiery energy. Exceptional musicianship, breathtaking vocals, vibrant sets of tunes, and instantly compelling songs all come together to make Dervish as complete a band as are to be found anywhere in the tradition. Their fan base stretches across several continents, including North America, Europe, Asia, and South America.
They were the first Irish band to play the world’s biggest music festival, Rock in Rio, performing to an estimated 250,000 people. Over the years they’ve been on the same bill as artists such as James Brown, Neil Young, Sting and even Iron Maiden!
All six members of Dervish are steeped in the musical traditions of counties Sligo and Leitrim in north-west Ireland. It’s an area which matches Atlantic coastline with storied mountains and rural landscapes. It has inspired a host of musicians, artists and writers,
including the Nobel Prize-winning poet W. B. Yeats.
For further information and what’s on visit ropetacklecentre.co.uk
left: Dervish, photo by Collin Gillen opposite top, left to right: Ben Roddy; Andrew Pollard; Tom Richardson, appearing in The Hound of the Baskervilles at the Devonshire Park Theatre
Madcap production is the must-see show – it’s elementary!
2nd to 31st August
The game’s afoot in this refreshing and brilliantly funny adaptation of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle classic, The Hound of the Baskervilles, featuring Andrew Pollard, Ben Roddy and Tom Richardson.
Audiences can expect to be thoroughly entertained in this fast-paced dramatisation which is given the full Eastbourne Theatres treatment, akin to their previous productions of The Invisible Man, The 39 Steps and Around the World in 80 Days. The cast will be working extra hard taking on multiple roles in this production which marks the 23rd year of Eastbourne Theatres producing shows.
Sir Charles Baskerville takes in the evening air as he strolls around the isolated manor house on the desolate moors, but something from the distance is approaching, and it's moving fast. In Baker Street, London, the world’s greatest detective is thoroughly bored with his cases, until he learns of Sir Charles, seemingly scared to death by a supernatural hound.
Henry Baskerville, Sir Charles's nephew, has recently returned from Canada to discover he has inherited the family home – but has he also inherited the family curse? This is surely only a case the greatest detective and his loyal companion Watson can solve. This adaptation of the classic tale by Steven Canny and John Nicholson manages to include all the gripping chills of the original story, but with a hilarious twist.
Andrew Pollard takes the role of Sherlock Holmes (among others). With a hugely varied career spanning over 32 years Andrew makes his Eastbourne debut in this production.
Devonshire Park favourite Ben Roddy returns as Sherlock’s sidekick Dr Watson, following his roles in previous Eastbourne Theatres’ productions. And completing the cast is Tom Richardson as Sir Henry Baskerville (for most of the show anyway!).
Visit www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk
March to September 2024
2024 is a very exciting year for The Festival Theatre at Hever Castle as the new fully covered theatre on The Two Sisters’ Lawn is ready for the start of the main season, pictured here.
The theatre is a new structure with one continuous roof, every seat undercover. The roof section over the auditorium will be transparent so you will be able to enjoy the sun or stars.
The season is even fuller than before with many of new artists and
events. Our partnership with Chiddingstone Castle continues with The Circus of Curiosities, a joyous afternoon of curious circus acts, the opportunity to work on your circus skills too in our skills workshops and Chiddingstone Castle have teamed with us to create a Curious Trail through the Castle museum.
Festival Favourites dominate the season with dazzling tribute music nights, jazz, opera, plays, family shows, comedy and The Last Night of the Hever Proms.
Full programme details at www.heverfestival.co.uk
Movie-In-A-Week Workshop 2024
Monday 29th July to 2nd August, 10am to 4pm
An immersive Summer Workshop for young people aged 11 to 16 to build confidence, make new friends, help improve communication and develop creative skills, led by Youth Theatre Practitioners Poppy Marples and Megan Bewley.
A week of fun and creativity writing scripts, developing characters, designing props and learning iPhone filmmaking, editing and acting for camera sessions, plus the chance to showcase your masterpiece on our big screen and all the glitz of the red carpet!
Aled Jones
26th October
Aled has been ever-present in our lives for more than forty years, bursting on to the scene and enjoying remarkable success as a young singer with his smash hit Walking In The Air.
He was the boy treble who captivated the world with his angelic voice. Selling over seven million albums, his recording from the animated film The Snowman, firmly established him as a household name.
Equally at home on the classical stage or starring in musical theatre productions in London's West End, Aled is in demand globally and has performed in the world's most iconic venues, from London’s Royal Albert Hall to the Sydney Opera House.
20% discount on tickets with the code Sing20*
Visit www.thecapitolhorsham.com for full details of everything on offer at the theatre.
Summer of Circus continues at
17th August 11.30am and 2.30pm
Taking place in, on and around an old-school London Taxi, Pirate Taxi has all the hallmarks of a Pirates of the Carabina (POTC) show – original live music, humour, a mechanically ingenious set, and extraordinary aerial performance.
This is a free outdoor event taking place on the promenade in front of the Pavilion Theatre.
Aerial Dance Taster Workshop
10th August 10am
Weekend workshops on 10th August including a Healthier Aerial Practice day and taster sessions for the local community.
Visit wtm.uk for full information of what’s on at the theatres.
below: Pirate Taxi
Julia Fordham 16th November
Known the world over for her stunningly rich voice and intelligent and heartfelt lyrics, Julia Fordham returns to the UK for her first headline tour in seven years and will be performing an array of her classic songs alongside songs from her forthcoming album. Julia was recently seen as part of the allfemale group Woman to Woman featuring Judie Tzuke and Beverley Craven, releasing an acclaimed album and selling in excess of 50,000 tickets on their UK tour.
Note: This gig has limited availability so please book early.
Please right back 6th to 21st December
Multi-award winning theatre company 1927’s brand new show 'Please right back' explores the difficulties children go through when a parent leaves the family while celebrating the power of the imagination to
overcome hardship. Part social realism, part science fiction with a healthy dose of mischief and a dash of dystopia, the company say that the show is a eulogy to the power of the imagination, storytelling and make-believe.
Mark Gordon, Marketing and Communications Manager at TOM says: “1927 are an amazing company, and we’re so happy to be working with them again to bring the best in live entertainment to Hove this December. They have a unique style all of their own, and this new show is perfect for both returning fans of the company and new audiences alike. This will be a flagship show for our venue, and we intend to go all out. What does that mean? There’s only one way to find out –we’ll see you there!”
Visit www.theoldmarket.com for full information of what’s on.
left: Julia Fordham below: 1927 Please right back
After a wet blustery day the clouds dispersed, the wind dropped and it settled down into an almost perfect early summer evening for a trip to Nymans to see This Is My Theatre's production of Persuasion. Almost perfect, I hear you say? Well it wasn't the typical balmy June evening we were hoping for but as soon as the company launched into their opening songs all lingering chilliness was forgotten.
What followed was a high-octane bravura performance with the four actors portraying a large cast of characters (I lost count at fifteen) – an unwitting audience member was even given a hat and the role (unspeaking) of Lady Dalrymple, much to everyone's delight. Identities were depicted with the donning of a scarf, cloak or shawl, a pair of spectacles or a cane or parasol and, as the 'hat-tastic' promo proclaimed... hats! Lots of hats! But even without these essential props each different character was suggested by a
change in voice and bearing – a good actor's stock in trade – but executed with such seamless rapidity it left me breathless! The hat-swapping sequences became more and more frenetic and absurd as the story progressed; choreography to test even the best actor's mettle, carried off with panache. Rehearsals must have been a riot.
This hilarious retelling of Austen's classic tender love story at the hands of Associate Artistic Director Ethan Taylor lost none of the essential elements of the plot, such that even someone unfamiliar with the story could follow with ease.
Bravo to all concerned, This Is My Theatre has chalked up another triumph!
Their late summer season continues with Five Children and It and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Look out for their next performance in your area and book your tickets, you won't be disappointed.
All the information you need including dates and venues can be found at www.thisismytheatre.com
top: the This Is My Theatre cast sing while the audience settles down; below: hat-swapping scene in full flow
“…There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time. This expression is unique and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. The world will not have it.
It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.
You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.
No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others…”
This is a quote from Martha Graham, ground-breaking dancer and choreographer, 1894-1991, sent in to ingénu/e by Suzannah Monk of Psychedelic Hearts Club Band – we like it a lot. www.psychedelicheartsclub.com
New Sussex Opera Chorus and soloists including Mehreen Shah, James Beddoe conductor Hamish Dustagheer, director Cate Couch
All Saints Centre, Lewes - Sunday Oct 27 7pm
St Mary’s Kemp Town, Brighton - Friday Nov 7.30pm
St Saviour’s, Eastbourne - Sunday Nov 3 4pm
St Paul’s, Chichester - Saturday Nov 9 7pm
St Mary de Haura, Shoreham - Saturday Nov 23 7pm “Jaw - droppingly stupendous” Christopher Morley (Musical Opinion)
New Sussex Opera follows its “Jaw-droppingly stupendous” production of Lampe’s The Dragon of Wantley with a Chorus production of this magnificent but rarely heard work for soloists and chorus.
First performed in 1915, Bethlehem is a gorgeous ‘choral drama’ based on a Coventry mystery play. Rutland Boughton’s music features beautiful choral writing, including wonderful arrangements of Christmas carols as you’ve never heard them before.
Boughton was a contemporary of Vaughan Williams, a friend of Thomas Hardy and George Bernard Shaw. Another well-known work is The Immortal Hour, based on Celtic mythology. Written at the start of World War I it opened at the new Glastonbury Festival, moved to Birmingham and later to London where it had a record breaking run of over 600 performances. Edward Elgar described it as “A work of genius” while Ralph Vaughan Williams said, “In any other country, such a work as The Immortal Hour would have been in the repertoire years ago.”
The Music Director is Hamish Dustagheer,
formerly Maestro di Capella of Malta Metropolitan Cathedral and now organist and choirmaster at St Bartholomew’s Church in Brighton. The director is Cate Couch and our talented team of soloists includes soprano Mehreen Shah as Mary and tenor James Beddoe as Herod.
One-off performances are at All Saints Centre, Lewes; St Mary’s Kemp Town, Brighton; St Saviour’s Eastbourne; St Paul’s, Chichester and St Mary de Haura, Shoreham, late October through November. Visit www.newsussexopera.org for full information.
If you’ve been lucky enough to hear the renowned violinist Adam Phillips perform live then you’ll know all about his exciting evocative sound.
Whether its popular songs from the musicals or a traditional Scottish reel Adam brings the music to thrilling life with a verve and a depth of passion that is second to none.
Adam is certainly well placed to perform traditional fiddle, he is a direct descendant of the 18th century Scottish composer and fiddler William Marshall who is credited as creating ‘the first Strathspeys of the age’. On top of that Adam’s mixed Basque and Austro-Hungarian lineage has given him a natural affinity with both traditional and classical violin music.
After completing his music studies, Adam took masterclasses with international soloist and Menuhin student Leland Chen who was to have a considerable influence on his playing.
“I think that gave me the confidence and experience to help me achieve my performance goals,” said Adam, “and I believe music has the ability to add that special touch to any occasion, it adds charm and magic and has the power to ignite emotions. I can add this sparkle to weddings, corporate functions, christenings or bar mitzvah.”
Adam has years of experience playing in orchestras as well as leading traditional fiddle sessions. At your function, Adam will offer a solo violin experience that will not simply add memories but will make them as well. Adam can help you create the repertoire that suits your occasion. Whether it be Moon River, rock arrangements, Ave Maria or lilting Irish Airs, your family and friends will not resist dancing. Later they will be serenaded by romantic themes from Italian opera and will keep asking for more.
To book Adam for your function or event call or text him on 07858 674781 Or log onto themusictutor.org and listen to samples of his work.
left: Adam Phillips
Thu 11 July
Country fans are given a taste of Nashville with a band made up of some of UK’s finest country musicians
Fri 12 July | Studio DIANA JONES
A night of Americana music from a major literary voice in contemporary song
Tue 16 July | Studio
THE MASSIVE TRAGEDY OF MADAME BOVARY
Four actors battle hilarious mishaps and misbehaving props to tell the (massively) tragic story of Madame Bovary
Fri 19 July | Amphitheatre
OF ROBIN HOOD
A brilliantly original, production of the classic tale and this time they’re singing! A family-friendly outdoor summer treat
Wed 24 July
RHYTHM OF THE DANCE
Join us on a dance journey through Ireland’s history from the ancient myths, to the modern, urban Ireland of today
Thu 1 August
SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY
A full live band perform all the hits including Mrs Robinson, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound & more
Fri 2 August
DINOSAUR ADVENTURE
Join our brave Rangers for another action packed Dinosaur Adventure in Trouble On Volcano Island! An unforgettable adventure for the whole family
Tue 6 August | Amphitheatre
Gilbert’s witty lyrics and Sullivan’s catchy melodies are expertly brought to life by Illyria in the Amphitheatre
Sat 10 August | Amphitheatre
Hands Down Circus present Tape That! a charming, light-hearted, non-verbal acrobatic duet. Suitable for the whole family!
Tue 20 - Sun 25 August
A fun-filled hit for all the family, starring Adam Garcia as Caractacus Potts, Liam Fox as Grandpa Potts and Charlie Brooks as the Childcatcher
Wed 21 August | Amphitheatre ROMEO & JULIET
This production of Shakespeare’s classic by Illyria is passionate, poetic, and utterly gripping!
Fri 30 August | Amphitheatre
This funny, exciting new family musical is performed with flair and wit by Illyria in the great outdoors
Sat 28 September | Studio
This show is for fans of Victoria and for those yet to discover her, to come together and relish her breathtaking wizardry with words
Mon 7 October
From the splendour of the ballroom to the moonlit lake where swans glide, this compelling tale of tragic romance has it all
The Horsham Music Circle’s 82nd Season brought music making of the highest quality to last long in our memories.
We now move on to the 83rd Season – the three autumn concerts start with a dazzling global music programme, introduce a brilliant young bassoonist, and welcome back a British pianist praised for his unfailingly communicative playing.
On Saturday 21st September in the Causeway Barn the series opens with the fabulous Kosmos Ensemble. Kosmos is re-defining the relationship between classical and world music. Gypsy, Scottish, Jewish and Greek music glide into hot-blooded tango and Asian melodies.
Also in the Causeway Barn on Thursday 10th October we present the highly talented bassoonist Siping Guo from China, who gained full scholarships for his Bachelor's and Master's studies at the Royal College of Music. He has excelled academically and
LIVE MUSIC IN HORSHAM Autumn 2024 presented by Horsham Music Circle for the 83rd Season
SATURDAY 21st SEPTEMBER
Causeway Barn 7.00pm
KOSMOS ENSEMBLE
Harriet MacKenzie violin Meg Hamilton viola Milos Milivojevic accordion music from around the globe
THURSDAY 10th OCTOBER
Causeway Barn 7.00pm
SIPING GUO bassoon
APOLLINE KHOU piano recital supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust
SATURDAY 23rd NOVEMBER
St Mary’s Church 4.30pm
LEON McCAWLEY piano recital ‘one of today’s most impeccably musical pianists’
TICKETS Phone: 01403 252602
email: horshammusiccircle@gmail.com online from 7th August www.wegottickets.com/HorshamMusicCircle www.horsham-music-circle.org.uk
as a performer in concerts at major venues including being guest principal with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Joined by pianist Apolline Khou, they play Bach, Bozza, Weber and Saint-Saëns.
Saturday 23rd November at St Mary’s Church sees a return visit of the distinguished British pianist Leon McCawley who has been delighting audiences worldwide since major competition wins in Vienna and Leeds. His many acclaimed concert performances and wideranging discography have established him as a pianist of great integrity and variety. He performs Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn and Schumann. Visit www.horsham-music-circle.org.uk for further information. Online bookings from 7th August. from top: Kosmos; Siping Guo (image courtesy of lichfield festival); Leon McCawley, photo Anna Paik
Q The Music’s James Bond Concert Spectacular is the world’s most critically acclaimed tribute to the music of James Bond.
Formed in 2004 as the world’s first dedicated tribute to the music of 007, they have become known for their stirring emotional and adrenalinefuelled performances, mixed in with superb musicianship and flair. Every Bond fan club around the world recognises them as the finest performances of the songs since the originals.
The show has become synonymous with top events around the world when it comes to James Bond. In 2017 they were asked to perform at Sir Roger Moore’s official memorial event at Pinewood Studios. In 2019 they performed at an event with George Lazenby: the 50th anniversary event for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, held at Piz Gloria in the Swiss Alps.
The show features all the Bond songs such as Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die and Nobody Does It Better performed by musicians taken from the UK’s leading orchestras, sessions and shows. Caroline Bliss, who played Moneypenny in The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill, will guide you through the concert as compere, sharing the odd anecdote about her time working in this legendary series.
Visit www.coastalevents.co.uk or www.dlwp.com for further info and tickets.
The Jive Aces, undisputed kings of jive and swing, are not only releasing a new album in July entitled ‘Keeping The Show On The Road’, but they are also hosting their Summertime Swing event, which they have organised annually since
2004 in the grounds of St Hill Manor.
All the profits from tickets have gone to various charities over the years such as the RNLI, Sight Savers, The Not Forgotten Association, Sussex Air Ambulance, the Royal British Legion, the Mayor of East Grinstead's local charities and many others.
Previous years' special guest performers have been Keely Smith, Clare Teal, Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Craig Douglas, Laurie London, Wee Willy Harris, Ray Gelato, Si Cranstoun, Gunhild Carling, Cassidy Janson, Mike Sanchez and many others. Among the guest performers confirmed so far this year are Alan Power and Rebecca Grant, with more to come!
Besides the special guests there are also DJs, classic cars, food and drinks vendors, vintage stalls and of course the dance floor, and more. (see advert on p.83) Visit https://jiveaces.org/summertime-swing for more information and to book tickets.
Tunbridge Wells
Gunn, Fauré, Piazzolla
Helen Thomas: Cello Paul Gunn: Piano
Concert 2pm Sunday 22nd September FREE ADMITTANCE
Pantiles Bandstand, Tunbridge Wells
A two day festival of Visual Arts and Music 21/22 September paulgunn.net
There can be two winners – 2 tickets for Horsham and 2 tickets for the Isle of Wight
7th December – Ryde, Isle of Wight
Doors open at 7.00pm, Concert starts at 7.30pm All Saints Church Queen’s Road Ryde Isle of Wight PO33 3BG or 14th December – Horsham, West Sussex
Doors open at 7.00pm, Concert starts at 7.30pm St Mary’s Church The Causeway Horsham West Sussex RH12 1HE
Competition question: Which two towns are the Bæbes playing in as regards this competition?
Answer with your name, address and phone number to roger.ingenue@gmail.com. The winners will be chosen during October, so don’t delay. Good luck!!
Friday 16th August at Chalk, Brighton
Explosions in the Sky are an iconic instrumental rock band from Texas that have become the gold standard for bold, emotional, cinematic music and are known for their incendiary live concerts.
End, the enigmatic seventh album by the band was inspired by darkness, but became a loud, dramatic, wild rumination on life and death. End on Bella Union is the band’s seventh, but not final, studio album.
End is perhaps the 'grandest' Explosions in the Sky album – melding the quiet restraint and crushing feel of their early releases with the sonic texturing and ornate experimentation of their later releases, and their increasingly deep film and television scoring catalogue, influenced by personal tastes stretching from classical to soul to experimental ambient music.
Over 24 years of being a band (with the same four members the entire time), they’ve achieved remarkable commercial success from an especially noncommercial corner of the music world, selling more than 1.3 million copies over six studio albums, and scoring five major motion pictures in the process.
Eva Lunny is a harpist, composer and ambient music producer from Brighton. Inspired by sonic pioneers such as Aphex Twin, Tim Hecker and Brian Eno, as well as renowned harpists Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, Eva creates a mix of ambient soundscapes and neoclassical pieces for her live show, bringing audience members on a journey of sound and reflection Visit www.meltingvinyl.co.uk to discover all the Melting Vinyl gigs this summer.
by Rebecca Hardy
London, 1815. On the cusp of adulthood, bookworm Jenny Miller longs to escape the confines of her London home and spread her wings.
Then her father dies leaving Jenny and her mother in danger of losing their livelihood. Only Jenny's immediate marriage can prevent this catastrophe, but she has no suitors.
However, a chance meeting presents the perfect candidate in the form of the enigmatic Erasmus Black; gentleman, merchant and, if the rumours are to be believed, captain. The wedding is hastily arranged and all seems to be going according to plan. But where does Erasmus slip away to in the dead of night? What secrets about her father's business has he discovered? And was their meeting really just a convenient coincidence?
While she gradually starts to warm to her new husband, swayed by his gallantry and attentiveness, Jenny struggles with doubts about his true intentions. The discovery of a hidden letter further raises her suspicions. Mysterious Erasmus Black may have secrets but Jenny has a secret of her own. She can sense when someone is lying. With this sixth sense tuned to perfect pitch she sets out to uncover, once and for all, the true nature of her husband's motives.
But her quest is not without its risks. A terrifying and bloody encounter with some of Erasmus's 'acquaintances' forces the issue and Jenny, bruised
by Rosie Talbot
A spooky spine-chilling roller coaster of a story, with love and loyalty at its heart.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Frith can see ghosts. Contrary to popular belief, ghosts can be harmed by the living. Vulnerable to the evil intentions of dangerous soul catchers, they need protection, so when a catastrophic attack was launched on the ghosts of York, Charlie vowed to keep them safe. Both Charlie and his new boyfriend Sam are seers, links between the living and the spirit world, able to physically communicate with the dead. So with their posse of unlikely companions – Charlie's childhood friends Mitch and Leonie and a motley assortment of ghosts – they hold the line between the forces of good and evil. But when a powerful force interferes
from her ordeal, demands answers. Finally she is taken into his confidence. What she discovers is an unexpected game-changer. Our eponymous heroine steps up, however, facing the perils of a pernicious cabal alongside her husband and his associates. But a disastrous mistake sends their careful plans into a tailspin and all seems lost.
Replete with conspiracy, betrayal, murder, slavery, piracy and vendetta, tempered with loyalty, integrity and courage against all odds in the face of an insidious conspiracy that threatens to unravel the very lives of the protagonists, this story unfolds cleverly, tantalising, revealing just enough to keep us guessing – the tension mounting page by page. With vividly fleshed-out characters and prose rich yet economical, The Merchant's Daughter is that rare thing, an historical novel that combines a gripping storyline with the pressing social issues of the time and beautifully drawn romance, subtle and organic. Five big fat gold stars from me – highly recommended! Available from Waterstones, Amazon and https://linktr.ee/rebeccadanese_books Follow the author on @rebecca_readsbooks and to read an interview with her check out ingénu/e issue 38, p.72, at www.ingenuemagazine.co.uk.
with their defences and a brutal attack leaves them questioning everything they know, the lads realise there is more at stake than they could possibly imagine. That was just the beginning. In danger of feeling overwhelmed by a spate of vicious attacks on the people of York, Charlie and his cohorts scour all possible sources that might yield answers. Who or what was doing this? Were there any links between the victims? Their suspicions are aroused by a renowned psychic and clairvoyant and the trail leads to an occultist who appears to be the next target. They must try to protect her as best they can.
But with limited resources it's only a matter of time... Another terrifying bloody attack throws Charlie and his friends into the path of mysterious and powerful
This 80th year since D-Day has marked the moment when those young men landed on the Normandy beaches. Watching the few who are still alive remembering friends and comrades at the ceremonies has been deeply moving.
It’s vital to remember the Allies were fighting their way through Italy too. Those ‘D-Day Dodgers’, 55,000 UK and US forces, who landed in Salerno just south of Naples in September 1943, followed by another 115,00 troops, had to fight hard for months. When those Allied landings happened, Italy capitulated and joined the fight against German forces – and finally Rome was liberated on 5th June 1944. With the D-Day landings on 6th June on the Normandy beaches, and the Russians moving in on Hitler’s Germany from the East, the end of the war was coming.
The young men and women who fought through World War II, in Europe, North Africa, and in the Japanese theatre of war, were truly brave. Many of us have parents, grandparents or relatives who played a part in those battles, and whose lifetimes we have been talking about and remembering this year. Next year on 7th May it will be VE Day, Victory in Europe Day, and on 9th August VJ Day – Victory over Japan. That generation gave us freedom and peace.
LEST WE FORGET.
–Felicity Fair
Thompson
by Garf Collins
It was dawn in mid-September 1985. Jack Lee was returning home after the Canadian veterans’ meeting at Newhaven. Jack found these reunions helped ease his recurrent nightmares of Dieppe, Sicily and Juno Beach, and he always stayed in Eastbourne near where he had been based in the war. But that morning, he was troubled by something lurking deep in his mind.
Jack told himself he was being a stupid seventy-year-old as he left the Grand Hotel and turned west to take the scenic route to the airport. But as he drove through East Dean, the sense of unease increased. His heart thumped and a black cloud of depression seeped into his whole being. With difficulty, he drove on.
As he approached Exceat with the rising sun lighting the sky beyond Beachy Head, a ghastly memory burst out of Jack’s unconscious mind. He parked the car, without any awareness of doing so, as the fateful morning in September 1940 flooded back as if it were just the day before.
He sees himself, then. A twenty-five-year-old major in charge of the company camped on the hill above the Cuckmere Valley. He is standing at peace as he waits for military transport. He observes the neat efficiency of the tents of his company on the hill above the river. A volunteer from Niagara Falls, he has progressed rapidly in the fast-growing Canadian Army. Here, he loves the peace of the green hillsides and the contrast of the lazy meanders of the Cuckmere with the raging torrent close to his home town. He feels a light breeze coming off the sea, bringing with it the smell of seaweed and the earthier smell of vegetation rotting in the imprisoned byways of the river. He looks up at the swallows preparing for their migration across war-torn Europe.
It is all so tranquil, he muses. That old Home Guard guy who told us the Jerries flew through here must have been thinking of the docks at Newhaven.
A winking light out at sea catches his eye. The hull of a ship? The sun striking a wave? No – it is six sunlit dots rapidly parting and increasing in size.
Our boys flying back to base, I expect, he thinks.
The German fighter-bombers come in low over the sea. In a cacophony of noise, Jack throws himself to the ground. Relieved as they pass over, he stands again and sees to his horror that they have wheeled around and are coming back down the valley. With cannons blazing, they strafe the camp and drop bombs upon it. Jack sees the utter devastation of his company. He shouts in fury at the waste of so many colleagues, slaughtered in their beds without even having the chance to fight for their lives.
Later, a policeman, stopping by the poorly parked car, found Jack dead in his seat; his hands stretched forwards as if to ward off an attack and his lifeless eyes staring at some unimaginable disaster.
September will see the publication of the 104th edition of The Frogmore Papers, which will include all the poems shortlisted for the 38th Frogmore Poetry Prize by adjudicator Graham Mort.
This year’s entry consisted of 364 poems submitted by established, emerging and occasional poets, and Graham’s task of arriving at a short list of ten proved to be a challenging one.
He comments: “It was a daunting task, but also a very affecting experience. The sheer variety of forms was astonishing – everything from free-verse to concrete poems to sonnets, odes and ghazals. The subject matter was equally varied from elegies; 'nature' poems, of course; ekphrastic poems; polemics; anti-war poems; poems about poetry; the wryly humorous; those unruly arcs of imagination that explored the existence of human consciousness within a bewildering and contradictory universe. It's easier to get into a poem than to get out. The best poems, of course, expand in the reader's mind, reward re-reading, offer up layers of meaning, discover further resonance in their linguistic patterning.”
Graham’s final choices certainly reflect the range and variety of the original entries, each with its own moment of surprise. The Frogmore Papers number 104 will be available
from The Frogmore Press, 21 Mildmay Road, Lewes BN7 1PJ, (£5.00, post free).
(To read the top three poems turn to page 73.)
SECRET REHERSALS FOR D-DAY
THE SECRET REHERSALS FOR D-DAY
THE SECRET REHERSALS FOR D-DAY
War is hard when you have to leave everything you know and love.
War is hard when you have to leave everything you know and love.
War is hard when you have to leave everything you know and love.
For the 80th Anniversary of D-Day...
For the 80th Anniversary of D-Day...
For the 80th Anniversary of D-Day...
'The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know'
'The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know'
'The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know'
President Truman
President Truman
President Truman
At your local book store
At your local book store
At your local book store
Paperback: £8.99
Paperback: £8.99
Paperback: £8.99
ISBN 978-0-9535123-2-4
ISBN 978-0-9535123-2-4
ISBN 978-0-9535123-2-4
www.wightdiamondpress.com
www.wightdiamondpress.com
www.wightdiamondpress.com
portrait heads in clay
In the sculpture class, we play Prometheus, forming human heads from cold, grey clay.
Our model is Beatrice, pronounced the Italian way. We dress our armatures, then stand, measure,
observe with callipers as she turns in our centre. We knead and need, cleave leaden lumps to build
until it breathes. The mind’s image is instilled by fingers unleashing shapes over weeks. We caress,
curse, battle vexation until the gentle final presses. It ends in shock. Each one of us has captured her and yet those six heads are not alike. I wonder what we each see of human nature’s duplicity.
–Ted Goody
Written after taking Hazel Reeves's Portrait in Clay course at Art Junction. www.artjunction.uk
Each year a cluster of lilies
Steep my garden with their scent, They ripen with golden pollen
Powdering silken petals.
A central shaft reminding me Of a tiny emerald snake
Defends the cotton wool stamens
Leaking gold dust, luring stripy flies. With their miniature proboscis They plunder, store their booty, Move on, greedy for yet more, Which is what they mutely ask, My regale lilies.
And the perfume bewitches me, Sly invasion of the senses
Links scent with memory, The present with the past. I have only to close my eyes
And I’m parting from my lover, Suffering my beloved cat’s death, Mourning the flight of time.
Once again the time of lilies
This year I thought I’d missed it But found them still in bud
As if they’d been waiting
As my mother once lingered on Waiting for me before she died.
– Jennifer Pulling
At the blue hour I see you From the corner of my eye, In the azure tinged garden. Silent and sinuous, you Are there, part of the dusky Evening where the honeysuckle And sensual jasmine’s fragrance Lure the pale phantoms of moths. And there you are, scarcely less Of a shade among shadows, Only you shift, you turn and, For a moment, gaze at me. Wary cats’ eyes, long muzzle, Rusty pelt, that splendid Brush to keep you winter warm. I honour your fine presence. Vulpes vulpes, the red fox: Loved, feared and often hunted. Reynard, you are welcome here In this twilit, silent place, Trust me. I too am timid Of encounters with humans, Suspicious of their motives. Like you I prefer this hour Between sunset and nightfall When the air is sapphire infused. Stay, but no, you are shy, you turn Away and softly vanish, And I’m lone by your leaving.
Summer’s ghost I still see you From the corner of my eye. You haunt this autumn garden, Your spirit comes at twilight, Long after your lithe body Lay slaughtered on the road.
– Jennifer Pulling
White Lily
Hera puts her baby to the breast, beads of milk fall to earth and spring up as soft-white trumpet blooms.
–Patricia M Osborne from 'Spirit Mother, Experience the Myth' https://whitewingsbooks.com
N.B. All poems shown are subject to copyright
Frogmore Prize winning poem and runnersup. Kathy Miles took the Prize, Pamela Job first runner-up and Ben Verinder second runner-up. www.frogmorepress.co.uk
The imagined girl who haunts my dreams is rummaging for puffballs, kicks hard to make them explode.
Together we forage for mushrooms, anticipate the buttery spit, slow-fried with crispy bacon.
At six, she’s bright as an elf cup, chubby arms and legs, a moon of rosy cheeks.
Scrambling over roots, and suddenly she’s climbing, red dress caught on sprigs, glimpse of scarlet knickers. Leaves giggle as she shakes the boughs, wedges against a fork to wave
at me, then slithers lithely to the ground. My heart is candle-snuff, a quench of dread.
I think of spores free-floating, clots of cells flushed out by the river’s spate. An unquiet shriving.
Now I tear witches’ butter from a trunk, yank waxcaps from the soil, uproot a chanterelle.
My daughter, figment of restless nights, clutches a handful of fungi: hyphae network her theft.
They’ll wither in her fingers. I dare not look in her eyes, the vanished light of earth-stars.
–Kathy Miles
The woman who sits by the drying-fences, her hair running like a river is Solveig. She writes songs about marigolds gilding the marshes each spring.
Put your ear to the ground before we go further: what resonances can be conjured with worms! Can you hear them?
Solveig’s voice will set light to silver birches, reaching high as the often-overflowing
waterfall. She knows her words lift the souls of the people above
their white-walled church, where women clad in umbrellas follow coffins too often. Their gardens smell of the creep of rot: we can hardly imagine the size of slugs
beneath the upturned wheelbarrows. No, I wasn’t expecting this rain but it glosses leaves with silver and brings rowan-berried branches down low over
the lake which I know is cool as the inside of my wife’s arm in summer but I can never forget the consolation of mountain peaks under snow...
It’s good you have come just in time for the harvest when village folk catch the moon. They hang it alongside sheaves of grain on dryingpoles, tall as trees.
These are necessary lanterns for my wife, Engel, who gathers red-stalked rhubarb at night and holds it against the white breast of her Paris frock like a shock of blood.
I should warn you about the sun – you may see it spreadeagled across a meadow later, with Solveig by its side notating its dying breath.
–Pamela Job
After an exhibition of the work of Norwegian artist Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928), Dulwich Picture Gallery.
We first met in Club Catedral that evening now heady with what happened next, when I had no idea: Carlos Gardel sang over the weeping bandoneon, you danced the Texan girl onto the dark milonga, fell in love, moved to Austin and got a dog. We made that trip to Marfa, then you disappeared. Until tonight when my phone glows with footage from a number I faintly recognise: a pan shot, the deserted street of a desert town, blurred motel neon, streetlamp ticking, the red snake of a vehicle in the distance, no further trace of which direction it is headed or where we are.
–Ben Verinder
Painters, poets, weavers, welders, gardeners, gilders, calligraphers, conservators…
Whatever your craft, whatever your level, there is a short course for you at West Dean. Learn from expert tutors in state-of-the-art studios, or study in your own time with distance learning.
Be inspired at westdean.ac.uk
Summer is the perfect time to get outside and take inspiration from nature with a creative Summer School! Nestled in the stunning Sussex countryside, surrounded by award-winning gardens, West Dean is the perfect place to slow down, embrace nature and explore your creativity.
The Watercolour Painting 'en plein air' Summer School (26th July to 1st August) offers you the opportunity to work outside in West Dean's beautiful grounds, immersing yourself in the environment and capturing it on paper. You will learn about composition, structure, tone, light and how the narrative of a painting can draw the viewer in, all in the midst of the beautiful Sussex countryside.
Watercolour Painting in Detail – Nature from the Gardens Summer School (9th to 15th August) offers you the opportunity to develop your knowledge of the various watercolour techniques, colour mixing and an understanding of how to build a painting from start to finish. During the course, you will visit the gardens to choose items that appeal to you, such as fruit, vegetables, flowers, leaves, bark, etc. By the end of the course, you will have produced a completed composition and a series of small detailed studies.
Find out more at https://westdean.ac.uk
Let us introduce you to one of our tutors:
One of our most popular of courses is that of sculpting from the life model in clay and we are so fortunate to have Mark Longworth as the tutor.
Mark is a professional sculptor and visual communication artist. From his north London studio his focus is on the human form, working from life with professional models and dancers who pose for his clay sculptures. Ballet, dance, theatre and film are his main sources of inspiration, with a penchant for anatomy. “I love the nuts and bolts, engineering if you like, of the human body.”
If he’s not in his studio, several projects often require frequent travels abroad where he collaborates with international artists and their work, most notably the work of artists from India.
Trained initially as a graphic designer and illustrator, Mark’s passion for the human form in motion has seen him work in illustration, film animation, computer graphics and live action features. “I adore telling a story whether it’s capturing a moment in clay, or a sequence of images. It’s pure magic.”
Whilst working in film and TV post production, Mark fell in love with sculpture after taking a weekend portrait sculpture course in London that eventually led him to California where he had extensive tuition with leading anatomists and figurative sculptors. This collaboration furthered his career as assistant sculptor at the Royal Ballet on a monument to Dame Ninette DeValois, where he worked with many of the principal dancers. Following this he assisted on the bronze castings of notable public
commissions at Bronze Age foundry in London. Since Mark has been teaching at the studio for several years, the workshops have become more varied not only sculpting the nude figure from life, but also from second source material such as video and 2D imagery. Poses have ranged from static, gestural and lately three wonderful dynamic pieces based on a performance by the remarkable poet and aerialist Naomi Wood (@iamnaomiwood). There have been workshops on how to sculpt difficult areas such as hands and feet. Mark’s ability to convey with clarity the complexity of the human form to students encourages all those who join his sessions.
“It is important to me that the student finds their own style and method of interpretation with figurative sculpture. My job is supplying the foundations which will be the core of their vision and help support the student’s unique signature.”
Visit: www.artjunction/ in-studio-courses to join one of Mark’s courses, and marklongworthsculpture. com for more about Mark.
I will be introducing two new One Day Silver Jewellery classes in July and August: Sea Glass workshop and Spinner Ring workshop. Both are suitable for Beginners and Intermediates!
Sea glass… shaped by the ebb and flow of the tide, creating natural glass pebbles... you will have the opportunity to make either a pendant, or a pair of earrings, combining your sea glass with silver to create a special piece. Learn how to make a silver bezel to fit the unique shape, and then solder, and polish to create your own piece.
A spinner ring, also known as a fidget or meditation ring, so called because the outer rings spins around an inner ring, brilliant for calming the nerves! During the one day workshop you will get the opportunity to create your own spinner ring with either a hammered or embossed texture and up to three spinner bands. You’ll use traditional silversmithing techniques including piercing, forming, forging, embossing, soldering and polishing.
Classes will be a maximum of four, and held in my
Roz Nathan
Natural History Artwork / Courses / Demos
July / August Summer Schools in East Dean
A range of exciting, fun workshops for all abilities!
Regular studio classes in Polegate / Langney
Creative Mixed Media / Personal Projects / Watercolour
Live, fun, group Zoom courses
Portrait / Landscape / Natural History Watercolour
For details and testimonials: www.roznathanart.com roz.nathan@hotmail.com
studio. Suitable for adults (and teens if accompanied by a paying adult). All booking details via the website: www.thejewellery-workshop.co.uk
Roz is again offering her popular East Dean Summer School programme, 1-day workshops for all interests and abilities are taking place over ten days from 22nd July to 2nd August in a large marquee in a lovely private garden.
Subjects such as Nature Linocut, Ink Resist, Papier Maché Vessels, Pen & Ink, Watercolour & Pastel, Beach Combing, Landscape Painting in the Cuckmere Valley, Gel Print, Botanical Painting are being offered.
From September Roz is continuing studio courses at Polegate Community Centre, offering Mixed Media and Personal Projects, and Watercolour and Mixed Media at St Barnabus Church, Langney, and possibly a new Wildlife session.
She’ll also be teaching live Zoom courses which include demos, discussions and relaxed project working, with supportive individual and group feedback within small, friendly groups – offering Natural History Watercolour, Landscape Mixed Media and Portraits.
Individual personal or small group project working, mentoring or support sessions, and online demos are available in Roz’s studio, students’ homes or online.
More information at www.roznathanart.com roz.nathan@hotmail.com • 07913 080061 •
Are the arts being quietly oppressed?
At first there was the pandemic during which the arts seemed to be last on the agenda to receive any help. Following this (and still continuing) there were economic troubles (coupled with a war), which again have a very negative effect upon the arts. And while this is occurring we have ‘cancellation culture’ and DEI controversies affecting free speech and artistic freedom.
Examples of the negative effects of all this are the reduction of funding opportunities, economic pressures curtailing spending (both by arts organisations and consumers), gloomy news reports exacerbating the situation and artists' work being arbitrarily shut down or attacked, verbally, physically or via social media.
On a more positive note I’m pleased to say that bookburning or book-banning doesn’t seem to have caught on so much in the UK, despite being quite prevalent in some countries, including of course the USA.
One other effect I’ve noticed, less serious perhaps, but a symptom of the same ideology nonetheless, and humorous if it wasn’t so ill-conceived, is the rise of ‘trigger warnings’ in literature, the theatre and TV and in some cases the removal or cancellation of the work.
There is something grossly amiss with academia when universities remove books from reading lists or apply trigger warnings. Believe it or not it’s not just a few books, its hundreds. Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Chaucer, Dickens, Harry Potter and many others have suffered this fate.
It is a common occurrence on TV, and some theatres are now following suit. A recent report told of the Bush Theatre in London giving theatre-goers a twelve page trigger warning guide which also gives advice for any upset members of the audience. Apparently Dame Judi Dench, among others, recently spoke out criticising trigger warnings. I’m not totally against it, but surely audiences are not so hypersensitive are they? And surely they must know something about the content of what they are going to watch or read.
In any case, all I’ve mentioned has had and is having a harmful effect on the arts in general, at all levels of our society. And, at the risk of being labelled a conspiracy theorist, I would ask who or what is behind all this and why are the arts not regarded as sacrosanct, the most vital aspect of living? They lift the spirit, so much needed in these difficult times.
As Pablo Picasso said “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
Epilogue
One final thought; if trigger warnings are here to stay, what is the one TV programme that doesn’t have trigger warnings, but which definitely should have them inserted before every episode? It’s a programme that covers the TV schedules like a behemoth and that churns out terrifying stories hourly of violence, crises, hostility, deceit, controversy, catastrophe, death and disease, causing great anxiety to many.
Why, The News of course!
top: Sycamore Gap Tree, nature in balance; left: Bush Theatre in London; inset: trigger warning
In 1996 George Harrison was found guilty of subconsciously plagiarizing the 1962 John Mack tune, recorded by the Chiffons, ‘He's So Fine’ for his song ‘My Sweet Lord’.
This verdict, and the use of the word subconsciously, had always intrigued me. Had I ever done anything similar without realising?
Recently while writing an anti-war song, I had an epiphany concerning musical influences versus plagiarism. It occurred because during this writing period I happened to see a YouTube video of Robert Plant (currently touring the USA and Canada with Alison Krauss) introducing Bonnie Dobson to the stage to sing her song ‘Morning Dew’ with him. This song has been covered by countless other musicians, and in 2018, her 79th year, Bonnie was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame for the song.
Robert explained he didn’t know she wrote the song, although he had recorded it and performed it many times during his life, until she turned up at his house and told him so.
I heard this song performed by Tim Rose, as did Robert, in the late sixties. It’s a powerful, evocative song about the aftermath of a nuclear war. This got me thinking; what influences, if any, were behind my song? My first verse is as follows;
Black rain falls on brown skin
Black rain falls on white Black rain falls on ebony And turns the daylight into night.
I cast my mind back to all the other anti-war songs I’d heard in my youth: some Dylan songs of course; another Tim Rose song, the troubling ‘Come Away Melinda’; Buffy Sainte-Marie’s ‘Universal Soldier’; ‘Eve of Destruction’ written by P. F. Sloan made popular by Barry McGuire; ‘The Sandman’ by America and many others.
I realised yes, these songs did influence me greatly, but I wasn’t copying them. The lyrics are on a similar theme but very different and the chords and melody
are my own. But they had had a great effect upon me and I would never have written this song without the perception and cognisance they provided.
l-r: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss by Alysse Gafkjen; Bonnie Dobson; Buffy Sainte-Marie by Trevor Brady
While admiring greatly these brilliant songwriters, I heaved a sigh of relief.
Interestingly, while researching these earlier songs, I discovered that ‘Come Away Melinda’ was not an original Tim Rose song but written by Fred Hellerman (music) and Fran Minkoff (lyrics). It was first recorded as early as 1963 by, of all people, Harry Belafonte and later recorded by many other people including The Weavers, Judy Collins, Bobble Gentry, Uriah Heap, The Grateful Dead, John Miles, Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Lulu and was a minor hit in the UK for Barry St John aka Liz Thomson in 1965.
Epilogue
Another thought, and a terribly sad comment on Mankind’s character; Over many, many years and especially during the last century, artists of various genres have used their work to highlight Man’s inhumanity to Man. It’s such a pity, but alas they have made shallow progress towards making war a thing of the past.
The militarist has his guns and bombs, the artist merely carries his brushes, his musical instruments and his imagination. Aesthetics are his weapon of choice. Which will win in the end?
In some town and city councils in the UK there seems to be an outbreak of irrationality occurring, resulting in the destruction of trees, despite quite large protests.
This seems to have been some sort of contagious phenomena spreading among various councils, which possibly resulted in the absolute and total insanity of two men, recently reported appearing in Newcastle Magistrates’ court, who deliberately felled the beautiful Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian’s Wall in September
2023. What a mindless, pernicious act.
Magistrates’ court? Why not criminal court? The wilful destruction of beauty, such natural beauty, shows these men to have minds no more sentient than animals, which statement is perhaps a disservice to animals. In the old days, perhaps the people of Northumberland might have lynched the culprits.
A snapshot of our exploits while distributing the magazine and taking in some culture. Our esteemed editor thoroughly enjoyed Wordfest's recent Celebrating Shakespeare Festival at Shoreham-by-Sea, which is soon to be followed by the Shoreham Wordfest this October. A vibrant celebration of our Bard, with all events well attended. Gill’s particular highlight was the free Saturday morning concert at St Mary de Haura, which included singing, sonnets and soliloquies delighting the packed church.
Tea and cake at Lighthouse Gallery in Eastbourne is one of our favourite stops to regather our strength, aided by viewing the wonderful art and crafts there and sampling delicious home-made cake.
Another fine watering hole is The Cake Shed on the Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells. But a warning – if you visit there you will be overwhelmed by the size and quality of their various cakes. Don’t eat a slice too near your supper time!
We have just returned from Nymans after seeing This Is My Theatre’s remarkable outdoor performance of Jane Austen’s Persuasion on the main lawn. While we picnicked, four actors played at least a dozen different people, mostly using hats as props to help portray each individual character. It’s difficult to describe save that it was lots of fun yet staying true to Austen’s story. See the review on page 54.
And we are very much looking forward to seeing the Mediæval Bæbes perform in Horsham in December (they are also performing in Ryde on the IOW in December, see the competition for
tickets at both venues in this issue, see page 65). Ethereal music and angelic harmonies, days of yore sprinkled with humour and fun, a perfect pre-Christmas festivity.
from top: Chocolate and raspberry cake at The Cake Shed, Tunbridge Wells; Tea and cake at Lighthouse Gallery, Eastbourne; Even Nyman's resident crows seem to enjoy This Is My Theatre's opening songs; Some of the Celebrating Shakespeare performers after the concert at St Mary de Haura church, Shoreham
