The Art of Giving a wealth of creative gifts ideas for the festive season plus autumn festivals reviews & interviews galleries & exhibitions concerts, gigs, theatre & film book reviews & poetry creative courses & workshops
creative talent revealed south downs and high weald : issue 41: autumn 2023
who’s who & what’s what spotlight on... the art of giving visual arts & contemporary crafts performing arts autumn festivals poetry, prose & illustration creative courses & workshops coda
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
Chichester Festival Youth Theatre presents The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, 16th to 31st December – for ages 7+ Adapted by Sonali Bhattacharyya, music by Ruth Chan, directed by Matt Hassell. See page 35 for more information. Image by Bob King Creative.
Greetings dear readers, and welcome to the Autumn issue of your favourite arts and culture magazine!
I'm writing this on the autumnal equinox, that pivotal moment when we bid farewell to summer and look forward to the mellow fruits of autumn.
What a strange summer we had – one minute I was in my shorts, seeking cool shade, the next I was pulling out my fleece from my winter woolies drawer, and even now, sitting here in the garden, the sun is as hot as any midsummer day, but a cloud sails over and suddenly the chill breeze makes me shiver.
But the one constant has been the amazing creativity all around us, from summer art trails and open studios events – some bigger than ever – through festivals of every kind you could wish for, to open air theatre and concerts. It's as though those dark days of lockdown have galvanised anyone with a creative bone in their body to seize the moment.
Along with the many excellent independent galleries across the region a number of pop-up galleries and exhibitions have, erm, popped up – giving artists the opportunity to collaborate and showcase their work in a new location. Other new ventures made their debut, among them Half Time Orange Theatre whose stated purpose is to produce innovative and exciting work bringing local communities and their histories to the stage, their most recent production being The Big Picture, part of Shoreham Wordfest.
And on the subject of small theatre companies, I've said this before and I've no doubt I'll say it again – I'm continually knocked out by actors' ability to change character completely, aided simply by the addition of a hat or coat, or some prop or other. In a small theatre company such as This Is My Theatre, or Bowler Crab, where maybe five actors have to portray a large cast of characters, it is an absolutely essential skill but one that never ceases to impress me nevertheless.
But now we must turn our attention to the winding down of the year. Summer schools have packed up and autumn term started, stock is taken of art sold and work starts in earnest to prepare for Christmas markets and shows, orchestras and musicians are planning their festive concerts and rehearsals are organised. The merry-go-round of gifting our culture with aesthetic value never stops. Nor should it. We would be poor souls without it. So to all you creatives out there, we appreciate you, we value what you do, gracing the everyday with beauty, encouraging us to look at the world newly, to find hidden depths in a piece of music or a stanza of poetry.
"if it's not in ingénu/e ...it's not happening!"
And to all you readers, especially those who have been with us right from our beginnings ten years ago, thank you for your support and encouragement. The novelty of producing this magazine has not worn off – we still get excited when we see someone in a café reading a copy of ingénu/e! We may not know you all but, as lovers of all things creative and aesthetic, I feel we are cut from the same cloth.
–Gill Kaye, editor
If you are one of those people who does their Christmas shopping at the last minute, now is the time to change your ways. Across our region artists and galleries are preparing for special exibitions, shows and pop-ups to entice you to abandon the high street chains and shop local!
There is always something unique and inspiring
to see at Shoreham Art Gallery with a diverse range of work on show by its collective of twenty-four artists and makers plus regular guest artists.
The Gallery and Sculpture Garden is open every day with a wide range of original work, all very reasonably priced: mosaics, ceramics, paintings, prints, jewellery, textiles, turned wood, sculpture, glass and lots more, so you are sure to find some perfect presents; functional, fun or just to admire.
“Ceramic Creatures” is the title of the exhibition by our October Guest Artist, ceramicist Jola Spytkowska, featuring her quirky, colourful and unique ceramic pieces – mini beasts, bags of character, hybrid creatures and planters. Jola’s work is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
Sussex author David Bathurst will be at the gallery signing his latest book in November and we will be featuring some special pieces by different gallery artists in November and December.
We are very much part of the Shoreham Community with lots of special events in Shoreham from now until Christmas, so why not combine your visit to the gallery with exploring our historic and entertaining town. Visit www.shorehamgallery.co.uk/news to find out more about what’s going on.
Givingwell is an Art in itself, and I am not talking about a gift being beautifully wrapped and presented. In a world of the mass produced it is hard to find a gift that is both unique and thoughtful, yet consciously minded and local. We all know how wrapping or unwrapping the perfect gift can make us feel, and doesn’t it feel good to give or receive something beautiful and one of a kind that is the perfect fit?
The Cranbrook Art Show returns to the beautiful Vestry Hall, with a carefully selected offering of local artists and artisans that might just be the perfect solution to your gifting dilemmas. The Show runs from Thursday 9th to Saturday 11th November. The return of this much-celebrated show is an opportunity not to be missed, to browse and enjoy paintings, printmaking, photography, jewellery, ceramics and sculpture in the run up to the festive season. A chance to discover that oh-so-elusive personal gift for that special or even difficult-to-buy-for person in your life. It is also spreading the Art of Giving beyond the gift itself by supporting our local creatives and, in turn, the local community and economy. Truly a feelgood event if you are visiting or purchasing, and the perfect way to hone your skills in the Art of Giving.
www.cranbrookartshow.org.uk
Aswe head towards the Festive Season our thoughts go to “what can I give this year?” It is always good to know that not only will the recipient of the gift be delighted to receive a unique piece of artwork, but also the artists and artisans who care deeply about their work will be rewarded for their efforts and be pleased to know someone likes what they have made.
Here in the little art gallery we have artists who start to bring in fresh work in October with gifts and decorations in mind. We have pewter spoons, bowls, vases, candles, mistletoe and other tree decorations. Our glass artists provide a variety of hanging decorations, mobiles, bowls and tealight holders together with the garden ornaments and other items we have all year round. Our ceramic artists add to their selection with more gifts and decorations; our gallery is full of colour and ideas from £3 to £3,000. If you find it too difficult to decide we also offer gift vouchers so the recipient can visit at their convenience and make their own choice.
We display our opening times on our website but we are always happy to open by request at other times. On quiet days it is better we are at home in our studios working on something new to add to our displays. Although we never mind dropping what we are doing and meeting customers at the gallery. www.thelittleartgallery.online
far left: Jola Spytkowska, Curious Creature, Shoreham Gallery;
top left: Libbi Gooch, Bourne on the Breeze, Cranbrook Art Show; top: Paul Chave, Wee Birds, Artspring Gallery; right: Glass by Ann Marshall, Ceramics by Claudi Barratt, at The Little Art Gallery
There’s so much going on at the Artspring Gallery in Tonbridge this autumn! The fifteen talented painters, potters, jewellers, printers and glassworkers who make up the collective have been getting very creative – which is what they do of course!
As well as all the beautiful work in the gallery they are holding their first group exhibition at the Trinity Art Centre in Tunbridge Wells from 12th to 22nd October. “This is a new venture for us,” says painter Katie Whitbread who is overseeing the event. “We’ve been working to share our work with a wider audience, and the Trinity is a great venue for taking this forward.”
The gallery is also thrilled to be welcoming two new artists to the fold: jeweller Julia Stockwell-Hamid and painter and printer Steve Lunn. “I’m very excited to be joining Artspring,” says Julia, “it’s such a friendly, supportive group of people. My work is about weaving those threads of our humanity together, so it feels like I’ve landed in the right place.”
There will also be a number of exciting guest artists appearing in the gallery, and then before we know it Christmas will be upon us! The gallery offers highly individualised pieces that will make a perfect present for someone special – from inspiring jewellery, to colourful ceramics, from rich paintings to skilful prints and shining glass.
Finally, in October, the Artspring Gallery will inviting submissions from artists for an Open Exhibition called `Transformations’ which will take place in February next year. Do these people never rest?!
www.artspringgallery.co.uk
This vibrant and creative annual event brings together artists and makers under one roof to exhibit and sell their work over one special weekend.
This will be our largest Art Fair yet with 44 artists and makers displaying their work in two exhibition spaces. As well as an inspiring display of art and craft, the fair is an opportunity to attend a programme of informative talks and demos by some of the participating artists. This year we have a watercolourist, landscape painter, wildlife, portrait and abstract artist, jeweller and fabric designer, all demonstrating their different creative approaches. This is a great opportunity to gain an insight into how original artwork is produced, what inspires artists, and what specialist tools and materials they use.
Our artists and makers cover a wide variety of disciplines and include painters, printmakers, sculptors, ceramicists, jewellers, upcyclers, glass and textile designers. A number of new artists have joined our group this year and are exhibiting for the first time, alongside a number of guest artists, so there will be some very exciting additional new work to see.
All work is professionally displayed in pleasant surroundings in the centre of Horsham within the Horsham District Council building in Chart Way (next to the Black Jug pub). This makes the Art Fair an easily accessible place to visit with the opportunity to purchase an original piece of art for your home or office, or a unique gift item at prices to suit all pockets.
This Autumn the Art Fair takes place on the weekend of 14th and 15th of October with a private view event on the evening of Friday 13th. Onsite parking is available and is accessible via Maderia Avenue. The exhibition will be clearly signposted from the car park.
For full up-to-date information and brochure for the Art Fair, visit www.horshamartists.org. Like and follow us on Facebook & Instagram: @horshamartists.
newest art hub
gifts, jewellery, cards, home furnishings, and artwork by local artists.
Run by local artist Leticia Silva dos Santos, Mantis Art Studio and Gallery in Midhurst is a one-stopshop for all things arty and is bursting with colour and creativity. After moving to Midhurst three years ago, Leticia wanted a space where she could not only work on her own art, but also be able to to engage with the community and rally the artistic talent in and around Midhurst. Mantis Art’s main ethos is supporting local, living artists, and making art accessible to all. Come as you are, feel free to ask questions, and maybe find the perfect gift for a loved one – or yourself!
Leticia also runs art classes across several mediums and subjects. Upcoming sessions are: The Essence of Art – six-week drawing and painting course for beginners; Life Drawing – mixed ability evening class; Botanical drawing – standalone sessions, seasonal subjects; Holiday-themed craft workshops – Christmas card making; Art Makers club – BYO project and materials, sit in company, share inspiration, tips and motivation.
For class details and prices email leticia_artist@ hotmail.com or go to: https://bit.ly/3JCndVM.
Want to gift a loved one artwork or a class, but not sure what they’d want? Gift vouchers are available! Vouchers can be made to any value, and can be used for art classes and purchase of readymade artwork or commissions. Purchase in-store, opening hours are 9.30am to 2.45pm Monday to Friday, or please send an email to leticia_artist@hotmail.com.
Alternatively, find Leticia at the Midhurst Christmas Street Party (1.12.22) and Midhurst Monthly Artisan Market (2.12.22).
It’s an exciting time at Chalk Gallery in Lewes with three new members joining our buzzy collective.
Linda Lethem is a painter and printmaker. Her work is inspired by the natural world, particularly the Sussex landscape, her tropical water garden in the village of Chailey as well as the Greek island of Aegina where she lived for thirteen years and visits regularly. Like many of the Chalk members she is fascinated by ever changing natural forms and colour and the seasonal cycles of nature. Linda works to convey her own personal relationship to this and how it affects her, resulting in imagery that often incorporates a mixture of visual languages.
The Journey began a long time ago. Back in 2012, a number of local artists got together and out of this an opportunity arose to run pop-up shops at a venue in Tunbridge Wells for four years until it was developed into a food court. Wanting to stay together, a sub-group took over the lease of a shop in Monson Road, Tunbridge Wells, and created the Arts Collective – TWells Gallery.
The demand was there and the initial ten increased to a membership of twenty-six art and craft makers from across Kent and Sussex. Sadly, increased rents led to the gallery’s closure in 2019.
However, the journey doesn’t end here. Several members of the group stayed in contact and friendships developed. They linked up with another group of artists from Tonbridge and shared Christmas pop-up shops on the Pantiles for several years. New members joined the group, and they kept looking for an opportunity to exhibit together.
Three years ago, Nicky Blanchard at Royal Victoria Place came to their rescue, which led to them renting a spacious unit in RVP for six weeks over the run up to Christmas. After two successful Christmas periods and with the group expanding, this June they decided to set up another collective – TWells Creative Arts.
The new collective will open their next pop-up on Saturday 11th November in Royal Victoria Place, on the second floor. Everything on sale will have been made by the fourteen members who, between them, will share the manning of the shop and will be available to talk to customers about their work.
TWells Creatives Arts will be open daily from 11th November to 23rd December. Their lovely venue will showcase a fabulous range of talented work including ceramics, fused glass, silver, gold and natural stone jewellery, paintings, photography and ceramics.
top: Amelia Jay, Meadow Memories 2 (detail)
Liz K Miller is an interdisciplinary artist and researcher working at the intersection of sound and imagery. Her specialism is sound visualisation exploring the listening experience through visual diagramming, mapping, scoring, sketching, and drawing. Her visual image-making techniques range from printmaking and plant-based pigment making to painting and cyanotypes resulting in fascinating and intriguing work. She has just finished a PhD at the Royal College of Art – many congratulations Liz!
Helen Osorio originally trained and worked as a textile artist (she famously was the first textile artist to get accepted in the 1997 RA Summer Exhibition under the guise of a printmaker). She is returning to work after a 22-year hiatus, now exploring mixed media, specifically working on cardboard. Now, as before, she is fascinated by big, open, raw landscapes and how she measures herself and navigates within them. She loves the way that landscapes hold history and that we use journeys and wilderness as metaphors for our own personal internal landscapes.
Welcome Linda, Liz and Helen!
Visit Chalk this season, in person, or online – with original art making perfect gift ideas we are sure you will be delighted by what you find!
www.chalkgallerylewes.co.uk
Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th November...
Christmas Weekend!
Please join Karen and Patricia for mulled wine and festive treats to celebrate the start of their Christmas show at the lovely West End House Gallery.
A wonderful mix of work at all prices to help with your Christmas shopping. A great opportunity to shop local and support the art community.
The show continues until Christmas Eve. Open every Thursday to Sunday from 10am until 4pm. www.westendhousegallery.co.uk
With shocking regularity, here it comes again... Christmas is just around the corner. Along with all the merriment and festive feasts to plan, our minds inevitably turn to gifts and the problem of what to buy for Auntie Alice, the dog walker, the babysitter et al.
At the Lighthouse Gallery in Eastbourne we have noted an unmistakable trend amongst our customers who repeatedly express a desire to turn away from online shopping and cheap imported goods and support local makers and producers. It seems many of us have become more mindful of how we shop and where we spend our increasingly hard-pressed pennies. The good news is, we have a truly impressive array of unique work by local artists and makers at very affordable prices. Even if your budget is small, we have tiny treasures to delight, and are always on hand with help and suggestions if wanted.
Come and enjoy a fabulous coffee and some homemade cake in our beautiful period building while you ponder your gift list. We have paintings, prints, ceramics, jewellery, glass, wood, textiles and more to choose from, plus handmade soaps, diffusers and candles. We
even stock local artisan chocolates!
So, put the Lighthouse Gallery at the top of your list, and get Christmas wrapped up!
Check us out @lighthousegalleryeastbourne.
Aftera six-year hiatus, due to a massive redevelopment of the building, MADE Brighton is back at Brighton Dome Corn Exchange this November.
MADE Brighton is a national craft and design show, bringing craftspeople, designers and printmakers from all over the country to sell their creations. Expect ceramics, textile art, furniture, silkscreen
Darren Ball, Anne Sept 1938
prints, clothes and accessories, sculpture, leatherwork, glasswork and jewellery; lots of lovely jewellery.
There are over a hundred stands, too many to list in this space, so we will single out some of our local Sussex favourites: Kathie Murphy, Gallit Shaltiel, Carola van Dyke and Louise Bell. And all in quite a splendid setting.
The Corn Exchange, originally the Prince Regent’s riding house, built at the same time as the concert hall next door, has been stripped back to its original Regency essentials, as well as being equipped for the twenty-first century, with new performance spaces, galleries, bars and restaurants.
And it’s in time for Christmas! Entry is £8: you can book tickets online, or pay on the door. Opening times are 10.30am to 6pm on Friday and Saturday, and 10.30am to 5pm on Sunday. MADE Brighton is organised by (Jon) Tutton & (Sarah) Young, who have over 25 years’ experience of running events and fairs together, including Brighton Art Fair and MADE London. The enterprising pair also runs the gallery, shop and makers’ workshop Atelier Beside the Sea, on Brighton seafront. www.madebrighton.co.uk
My love of drawing began at an early age and I spent hours drawing family, friends and 'stars' from film, music and sport.
Now, working from photographs and using pencil, coloured pencil, pastels and even ballpoint pens, I concentrate on portraits of both people and pets.
A portrait is such a personal thing, capturing not only likeness but character too, and is a lasting memory of a loved one.
I moved to Worthing from the New Forest in 2022 and have found it to be an excellent place for artists. This is particularly true of East Beach Studios, former beach huts now providing a thriving community of artists and makers and an attraction for visitors and locals alike.
With my studio looking out to sea it really is a
stunning place to 'work'.
To see more of David's work pop along to his studio at 44 East Beach Studios, Marine Parade, Worthing or check out his Instagram page @davidholtart He can also be reached at 07917 802296.
Lifebrings so many opportunities for giving, especially during the festive season, when we look forward to the pleasure our gifts will bring to family and friends. Care and thought spent finding that perfect gift for those we value most will create so much joy and the act of giving always produces such a lovely warm glow too!
Gigglewick Gallery presents a vibrant treasuretrove of contemporary art and unique quality gifts for discerning customers. Visit this colourful and friendly gallery and shop in the heart of Worthing and discover that special gift…
• Contemporary art – a superb collection of original paintings, sculptures and limited-edition prints • Aluminium and acrylic glass art • Innovative, Montessori-inspired wooden toys • Bold & chic Tagua jewellery, fashioned from ‘vegetable ivory’ • Stylish glass vases in a variety of colours for up-close observation of your acorns and avocados as they grow • Wooden bud vases • Quirky cotton bags.
Owners Steve and Sue are always on-hand to answer your questions or just leave you to browse the many and varied delights of their shop. Find Gigglewick in The Royal Arcade, just north of Worthing Pier, or approach from between Caffe Nero and Nationwide. Not able to visit? At www.gigglewick.co.uk you can enjoy viewing and shopping from the comfort of your home.
Catriona Millar’s body of work is very impressive.
Since the Scottish figurative artist’s sell out degree show in 2005 she has produced almost 1000 paintings and studies. You can see most of them on her website.
“I was very lucky that my work was professionally photographed from my first year at art school so I have a high quality record of my paintings and even some of my studies,” said Catriona.
Some of the paintings like the popular ‘Little Wing’ series are available as signed limited edition giclee prints, but now Catriona’s entire back catalogue has been released as smaller high quality, stunning A3 signed prints costing £70 including UK delivery.
“I’m really delighted by the quality,” said Catriona, “I felt it was important to have a level of my work that was very affordable and give people the choice they wanted.”
To order one of Catriona’s A3 prints on 350gsm white card simply choose the painting you want from the ‘Paintings’ section of her website and place your order through the contact section. Delivery normally takes around ten days and each cello wrapped print comes titled and signed by Catriona. A set of six stunning art cards is also available. www.catrionamillar.com.
Gallery is tucked away in the old part of historic Midhurst, in the heart of the beautiful South Downs National Park with its spectacular and picturesque surroundings, which have over the centuries and to this day been a magnet for artists. This wealth of talent has enabled the gallery to present many artworks with a local interest.
In the gallery you'll find original fine art including oil paintings, watercolours, drawings and pastels, as well as modern giclee and limited edition prints, antique and modern maps and a large collection of antique and modern prints and engravings.
The added bonus of Artists' Materials and Artists' Greetings Cards makes Midhurst Gallery a perfect destination to browse for Christmas gifts.
www.midhurstgallery.co.uk
Ifyou stroll down Henfield High Street you will find Gallery BN5, an artist-run gallery where art is a passion for each of our artists. We change the work on display each month so there is much to see within the gallery. Our artists work in the gallery which means you'll always find someone who knows what they're talking about when you pop in to visit! But if we happen to be closed, our website and windows are always open for browsing! And please do feel free to contact us via our website or at info@gallerybn5.co.uk with any queries. There is such a lovely variety of goods that make wonderful gifts for a special person,
a special occasion or even just to treat yourself!
We believe that the art of giving is gift in itself, it is not the price spent on a present, it is the choosing and giving of a gift that will light up the person’s face when they receive what you have chosen with care especially for them. It is not to receive one back, or to receive something that didn’t cost the same as your purchase, it simply does not matter. The feeling that you have given to someone a gift that you have thought about and taken time out of your busy day to consider what they would like, what would please, what would cheer, is always to be cherished.
With Christmas around the corner, this is a fabulous place to find an extra special present!
https://gallerybn5.co.uk
Ihad to examine this subject recently as someone very keen on AI showed me how it could ‘create’ art. He told his AI programme to ‘paint a picture of some cheese and onion crisps and a hamster in the style of Van Gogh’. The creation the programme came back with was amusing. However, whilst he was obviously delighted with the results, it made me look at whether this process will ever be a threat to me as an oil painter. I have hundreds of paintings online that could be used by AI bots to create ‘new art’ in my painting style.
I already know of some artists who use AI to create paintings and one person who uses it to write book paragraphs. I know of others who are dropping their ‘real world art’ for digital creations. My main conclusion, though, is that I personally would never want AI, digital or NFT (Non-fungible token art – digital assets stored online) when I can have a real world one with mass and texture and ‘presence’ to it (and in the case of my art, often fingerprints, hair and those little black insects that fly into my oil paint in summer). By ‘presence’ I mean the palpable life and energy with which a competent artist imbues their art work as they create them.
Original art has a soul and speaks to a viewer. Computer images just don’t. Why have a computer-generated image of a cake when you can just have a cake? I hope that reassures any of my fellow artists – use AI if you will but don’t stop doing the real thing!”
Ifyou’re looking for sustainable, original, handmade gifts for friends and family (or even for yourself!) the Artists Open Houses Winter Festival is the place to go.
Around 500 artists and makers in the Brighton and Hove area will be exhibiting a range of homewares, textiles, ceramics, jewellery, as well as fine art prints, photography and more, all making perfect gifts for Christmas or any other occasion.
By buying locally you can help support the city’s artists and makers, as well as ensuring you are shopping ethically and with care for the environment. Many makers use upcycled or reclaimed materials, both ecologically and sustainably sourced.
The Winter AOH festival often has a hygge vibe, with mulled wine, mince pies and other seasonal treats on offer. Shopping from the warmth and comfort of artists’ homes, meeting and chatting to the artists and makers as you view their work, makes for a great and eco-friendly day out.
The AOH Winter festival runs weekends 25th November to 10th December. The festive season starts here! For more information visit: www.aoh.org.uk.
Gill Bustamante – artist and art tutor.
Visit www.gillbustamante.com to see Gill's work, evocative paintings and prints that would make perfect gifts for the festive season.
Contact Cathy Bird to find out more. I have a special Christmas offer of three hours private tuition for £50, but there are other alternatives we can discuss. It also is the perfect solution to last minute gift problems, as you can have a voucher by return of email! Contact me on weekendarting@gmail.com or call me on 01892 870067.
Multimedia artist Karen Ongley-Snook is based in the picturesque coastal village of Bosham in West Sussex. “I have been a maker for as long as I can remember,” says Karen. “I started out making silver jewellery and then went on to work with silk and silk velvet.” But although successful in these fields, it’s Karen’s glass pieces for which she is known, having exhibited at Gardeners World Live, RHS Hampton Court and RHS Chelsea Flower Show where her glass pieces have won several awards. “Colour is hugely important to me, the emotions different combinations can evoke and how they can enhance each other, I just get lost in the richness of the glass.”
Her stainless steel framed stained glass columns and fused glass pieces have been shown in galleries and art trails and are in private collections in several countries. Karen is also a founder artist of the popular little art gallery in West Wittering.
Although Karen always has some pieces available, most of her work is commissioned based, so each piece is made to order and is unique. “I want my customers to know that I’ve thought carefully about each individual piece for them, so that they know they have something special”.
Karen also runs various workshops and sells online through her website. There are gift vouchers available too. Visit www.ongley-snookdesigns.com.
When you know that somebody has a longing to draw or paint, the gift of a couple of lessons can really set them on their path. It is a very special joy to fulfil your artistic dreams.
Vee’s designs are about the wild world she walks in every day on the beautiful South Downs. From seeds and leaves to flowers, berries and grasses, all Vee’s exquisite silver jewellery is handmade. She loves to incorporate semi precious stones and beads to add colour and resonance.
Vee makes a lot of her jewellery to commission.
She enjoys working with customers, discussing designs and choosing stones with them. If you would like a piece of Vee’s jewellery as a unique gift this Christmas, contact her via www.vpjewellery.co.uk or at peasevm@gmail.com.
Painters Group (KPG) is excited to announce The 30th and Final KPG Art Exhibition & Sale at Kingdom in Penshurst, Kent.
After a two-year hiatus you will once again have the opportunity to purchase art from over fifty of Kent’s leading artists and sculptors, and this time you will also be able to have a coffee, lunch, or even walk in the beautiful surrounding countryside.
“You can see the work of well-established artists alongside artists you’ve never heard of...”
Our Opening Drinks will be on Friday evening of 27th October 6 to 9pm, where you will have the chance to meet some of our artists as well as have the first opportunity to purchase the art. Following this we will be open on Saturday 28th October 12pm to 4pm and Sunday 29th, 10am to 4pm.
Uniquely structured, the Kingdom Clubhouse features stunning views across the Kent countryside. Born from the destruction of the Great Storm in 1987, this unique and enchanting 13-acre woodland is dreamy and earthy, yet utterly romantic, the perfect backdrop for this exhibition.
Kent Painters Group (KPG) is a not-for-profit
organisation started by a group of friends over thirty years ago to raise money for local mental health charities in Kent. Its annual art sale is now one of Kent’s premier exhibitions, 100% of our proceeds go directly to our chosen charities.
Visit www.kentpaintersgroup.co.uk and follow @kentpaintersgroup on social media for updates.
The Earth: Handmade Fine Jewellery.
Inspired by the Natural World. At Pruden and Smith, the phrase 'of the earth' is not just a catchphrase; it’s a design principle that underpins their approach to creating beautiful jewellery. They take inspiration from nature's organic shapes and textures. Their designs aim to enhance the natural beauty of minimally processed materials to create unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of handmade fine jewellery. For example, their Lapis Lazuli Collection features a rough-cleaved finish that preserves the stone’s natural essence, showcasing its raw beauty and revealing natural golden iron pyrite inclusions that vary from stone to stone. Each piece is a unique work of art.
Inspired by Sussex. Pruden and Smith’s Trap Collection captures the essence of the Sussex coast, taking its forms from the aesthetic of pebbles trapped in the distinctive chalk beds and wooden groynes of Birling Gap and Cuckmere Haven. They work in recycled gold and platinum, and also offer a custom redesign service where they incorporate their clients’ own metals and gemstones from old jewellery in an upcycling process that starts with a one to one consultation with their Creative Director, Rebecca Smith.
Their gallery is located at the centre of Ditchling village and they offer free tours of their onsite workshop. Visit their website to plan your visit, arrange a design consultation, and book a free workshop tour: www.prudenandsmith.com.
Ajointexhibition by three local artists: Chris Sedgwick, Amanda Duke and David Wise, 31st October to 12th November.
Whilst working in different media it became apparent that these three artists had similar concerns. When it came to landscape it wasn’t just the surface forms, mood or atmospherics that interested them, it was more the passing of time, which prompted them to work in series, inviting you to time travel as you move from one image to the next.
Louise Duggan
Chichester-based artist Louise Duggan trained as an interior designer working for various design firms in London before moving to Dubai in 1999, returning back to the UK in 2022.
Louise works with various types of media, demonstrating a remarkable intuitive sense of creativity to distort and reshape her subject matter whilst maintaining a balanced composition. Her canvas swirls with movement as she skillfully takes you on a journey with spontaneous use of acrylics and various mediums to further expand her visual communication.
The new collection embodies the process of confronting past traumas and navigating through the darkness. Layers of paint and mixed media create rich textures that symbolize the layers of healing work undertaken during therapy. The canvas becomes a sanctuary for catharsis, a place where pain and resilience intertwine. Abstract forms converge and diverge, illustrating the intricate connections between mind, body and soul. The fusion of contrasting colours symbolises the integration of various aspects of her being into a harmonious whole.
Through her work, she encourages others to embrace their vulnerabilities and celebrate their uniqueness, knowing that the journey of healing is a profound and transformative gift.
Louise will be exhibiting from 12th December at the Oxmarket Contemporary Gallery in Chichester as a member of the art collective, Tea, Coffee, and Tequila. https://louiseduggan.com
Amanda works in textiles and mixed media recreating her impressions and memories of moving through the land and seascapes of the Cuckmere Valley and Newhaven. Chris works in collage and produces giclee prints which can take their inspiration from local geology or just the changes to a single view over the course of a day. David paints and investigates natural cycles such as the ebb and flow of the tides. His work examines the repetition and rhythms which continually change ever so slightly. He will be showing giclee prints made from his paintings.
The artists will be on duty throughout the show and will be only too pleased to discuss their work.
Details at www.colonnadehouse.co.uk.
Ifyou are a Shoreham local you may well have come across Louise or her husband Chris on the beach, usually at sunrise or sunset photographing their sculptures. Louise's beautiful stained glass designs are set in reclaimed sea defence timber, naturally weathered and highly durable, to create unique works of art for outdoor spaces.
As well as gracing both public and private gardens, sculptures are often commissioned as memorial pieces, offering a more personal and celebratory alternative to headstones. www.louisevdurham.com
Together, our group strives to present a captivating and vibrant collection that embodies contemporary art. We celebrate diversity, humour, and an explosion of colours across a variety of styles.
Each artist has been carefully chosen for their distinct approach to subject matter and medium: Louise, based in Chichester, is a multidisciplinary artist whose work is a journey of discovery. Using mixed media, bright colours and bold compositions she challenges notions of self, beauty and preconceived stereotypes. Steve hails from Titchfield, his current collection is predomantly painted on cardboard, incorporating the branding of the boxes into his subect matter, and Bobby is Brighton based, whose love for graphic design & illustration is a mashup of cultural references, pulp imagery and bold geometric patterns.
Our collection provides a kaleidoscope of emotions, experiences and perspectives, inviting viewers to explore and engage with the intriguing stories behind each artwork. Our show starts on 12th December at the Oxmarket Contemporary Gallery, Chichester and includes our guest artist, Chichester resident T-Boy whose work, very much grounded in the world of
Pop Art, takes heavy influence from music, popular culture, iconic faces, and special moments in time.
More at www.teacoffeetequila.com or find us on social media @teacoffeetequila
Nakedclay ceramics and abstract paintings at Colonnade House, Worthing, 21st November to 3rd December (closed Mondays) 10am–5pm.
John and Janet have been working collaboratively with ceramics for over ten years, producing a unique collection of work. This exciting exhibition of drawings, paintings and ceramics exemplifies their use of Forms tempered by Fire as vessels for Feeling.
They experiment with ancient low fired techniques, time-consumingly burnishing their work to develop a natural shine. These tactile forms become ideal for absorbing marks produced by smoke and fumes as the pieces are fired in pits, barrels or raku kilns; a fire which is manipulated and influenced but never wholly controlled, making each ‘naked clay’ piece totally unique and intriguing.
Janet, a painter by training, caught the ceramic bug from John, an established naked clay ceramicist. John creates forms from which subtle, but profound, feelings emerge. His vessels look functional but they remain porous, and exist purely as objects to intrigue and covet. Janet starts with feelings from which images or sculptural forms emerge, developing organically.
The material, the creative process, and the wonderful Fire come together to influence the work, allowing John and Janet to create Forms of beauty, resonance and Feeling. Visit www.jevceramics.co.uk or follow on Instagram @jev_ceramics.
31st October – 12th November 2023
. the little art gallery .....
A contemporary gallery space between city and sea showcasing work by local artists.
Gift vouchers available. Opening times may vary, 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
Opens Saturday 11th November
14 Local Art and Craft Makers launch their Christmas Pop-Up Shop – top floor, Royal Victoria Place, Tunbridge Wells
Ceramics, Fused Glass, Silver, Gold and Natural Stone Jewellery, Paintings, Photography and Textiles
A place to solve many of your Christmas Gifts
Open every day 9-6 pm and 10.30-4.30 Sunday until 23rd December
of
Beautiful new artworks each month created by local artists in one fabulous gallery! visit us at High Street Henfield BN5 9DB www.gallerybn5.co.uk
Enquiries : info@gallerybn5.co.uk
original work by 25 local artists and makers fabulous coffee, cake and snacks unusual plant gifts life drawing and other classes & workshops
The Lighthouse Gallery Eastbourne 19 Cornfield Terrace, BN21 4NS 07748354879. Open Tues-Sat 10am-5pm Find us on Facebook and Instagram
October 14/15 Sat 10am-5pm / Sun 10am-4pm
Parkside (County Hall North)
Horsham RH12 1AB
FREE parking on site via Madeira Avenue
£3 entry fee on the door, under 18s free
Nestled in Worthing’s beautiful Royal Arcade, Gigglewick Gallery will delight you with its wonderful array of contemporary art, gifts, jewellery and toys
14 The Royal Arcade, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 3AY 07525 369871
www.gigglewick.co.uk @gigglewick
A portrait of a loved one provides a wonderful memory and a beautiful gift for any occasion. So, whether it’s for a Christmas present, a special birthday, to mark an anniversary or to remember a cherished pet, contact me to discuss your requirements.
Follow me on Instagram and receive a discount on the price.
Dean House, Bepton Rd, Midhurst, GU29 9LY
Paintings, prints, cards, handmade jewellery and unique gifts
Commissions also available, from many of our artists!
Natural World exhibition on display now 1/9 - 31/10 display 31/10
X-mas exhibition
Private view: 10th Nov 6-8pm
Each piece is handmade on the Sussex Coast Designed specifically for the garden Individually made to order | Workshops available www.ongley-snookdesigns.com 07989 074641 | 01243 573411
The Christmas Cellars! bricked and arched Georgian of East Hoathly Village Stores provide a fabulous venue to discover treasure trove of Christmas gifts. The Christmas Cellars open late October.
Hoathly Village Stores, 2 High Street, Hoathly, BN8 6EB 840321
★ A Sussex Trug – The most cherished gift for both gardeners and cooks to bring home the ‘home-grown’. Hand made in Sussex by Trug Makers. www.trugmakers.co.uk 01323 440452
Flicker Rose
★ Our Parkminster candles and diffusers are handmade in Sussex using all natural ingredients. They make perfect gifts, especially in scents ‘Noel’ and ‘Frankincense & Myrrh’. Pop in to see our full range of other gifts and decorations! Shop 2, Cobblestone Walk, Steyning, BN44 3RD Find us on Facebook & Instagram: @flickerrose 01903 814264 flickerrosesteyning@gmail.com
Aurelie & Rose
★ Shop beautiful vintage inspired gifts, homeware, clothing and cards at our shop in Eastbourne or via our website.
A huge range of different present ideas!
Units 65-66 Enterprise Shopping Centre, Station Parade, Eastbourne BN21 1BD 01323 640013 www.aurelieandrose.co.uk
Follow us on Facebook: @aurelieandrosevintage
Follow us on Instagram/Twitter: @aurelieandrose
Wooden Pens
★ Revealing the hidden beauty in wood ¬– beautiful hand-crafted wooden pens made from local, indigenous and exotic woods. Different profile styles from slender through to more rounded, to support all pengrip needs. Presented in a velvet drawstring pen case. Cost £22.50. For more details contact Heather Joy: 07968 805422 heather@joystars.co.uk
Call: 01273 835355 Email: sales@sussexliving.com Promote
Rum School
in our Christmas Gift Guide From just £60+vat
★ A unique experience, join Goldstone Rum at their rum school to distil your own rum recipe whilst enjoying cocktails and a distillery tour. Gift vouchers available on their website. Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9SL www.goldstonerum.com contactus@goldstonerum.com
Give the perfect present!
★ Private art lessons from an experienced and sympathetic teacher. Vouchers emailed overnight.
Cathy Bird MA - 01892 870067 Email: weekendarting@gmail.com
by Lesley Samms
In this issue we talk to mixed media artist Edith Pargh Barton.
Edith’s work is rooted in the observation of the world around her. There is warmth and humour in her paintings and sculptures that reveals a joy in playing with paint and fabric, and a delight in the unusual; of existing in between the real and the imaginary.
Please can you tell us about your upbringing?
I was born in New York. My father was a mechanical engineer and a creative practical person. My mother was quite talented with sewing and hand embroidery and knitting. She loved complicated knitting patterns and cross stitch. Her sewing machine was in my bedroom when I was young, I watched her make all my clothes from patterns. She also made clothes for my dolls.
Half of my relatives are creatives and the other half are scientific.
Did you have a formal art education or are you self-taught?
I have a BA in Art with a minor in education (to be able to teach art) from Long Island University then courses in Illustration and Graphic Design from the School of Visual Art, NYC and many courses at
California State University where I enrolled in a Master’s degree, but then moved to the UK so it was not completed.
Did you make art as a child?
Yes, I drew, painted, played with mud, made things I found during walks in the Adirondak Mountains and did origami.
What is your earliest memory associated with art?
Dressing my dolls while my mother was using her sewing machine.
Watching my father working as a precision mechanic, making small engine parts.
Was there a moment or a person or a place in your past that influenced you or you feel set you on the journey to where you are now?
My Aunt Muriel was a professional artist, as a painter and a ceramicist. She wrote a pottery book which I still have today. She took me to museums in NYC and enrolled me on day courses in museums as a child. I also presently have a mentor, which keeps me on my journey.
Please describe your practice in three adjectives. Quirky, thought provoking, unique.
Where are you finding ideas and inspiration for your artwork right now?
Always the landscape and my imagination – both work together. Shapes and forms. Details in nature.
What is the best thing about being an artist?
To be able to keep myself occupied creatively, lateral thinking and being part of an unconventional tribe of like-minded people. I love the art community; like-minded people – we speak the same language.
And the worst?!
Emotional turmoil and doubt when ideas and creativity temporarily dry up.
What international art destination do you most want to visit?
New Mexico; Vancouver, Canada again; Barcelona.
What work of art would you most like to own?
Christinas World by Andrew Wyeth.
Please tell us about your working environment. I have my own studio in my garden, which houses my sewing machine and all art supplies and sewing supplies. There is plenty of space for storage, books and areas for painting a little separate from the textile work.
Please tell us a little about the process involved in
making your art?
I have two processes, one as a painter and one as a textile sculptor. The disciplines cross over and each influences the other. I paint on board or canvas with oil colours, draw and also use watercolours as part of my sketch work. My fabric sculptures are painted and stitched and the marks are similar in both painting and textiles.
What's the most indispensable item in your studio?
Windows. I like the space to sit and look out the windows. If my studio was a windowless boxed room, I think I would be very sad.
What advice would you give those aspiring to make a living out of their art?
Be part of a group, believe in yourself, don’t give up and do work that makes you happy.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
Teacher, dancer?
What is the most important thing to know about you? Perspicacity (good observational skills) and a sense of humour.
Please tell us one unexpected thing about yourself. I am shy.
For more information about Edith and her work please visit www.edithparghbarton.com. You can also find her on Instagram @edith_barton and Facebook @EdithParghBarton
For more information about Pure Arts Group please go to www.pureartsgroup.co.uk.
23rd September 2023 – 10th March 2024
A collection of rarely seen drawings by one of our most popular and recognisable artists goes on display in Sussex this summer.
Charleston is thrilled to present ‘Love Life’, a collection of rarely seen drawings by one of the most popular and recognisable artists of our time. This captivating exhibition will be shown in the Wolfson Gallery at
Charleston in Firle from 23rd September to 10th March 2024, offering visitors a unique opportunity to marvel at the extraordinary power of observation and artistic finesse that characterises Hockney's early works.
In 2017, prior to the opening of a retrospective exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, David Hockney (b.1937) painted the words ‘Love Life’ on the final wall of the show. Explaining his actions, he said: “I love my work. And I think the work has love, actually … I love life. I write it at the end of letters –‘Love life, David Hockney’.”
The exhibition showcases a remarkable series of drawings that encapsulate David Hockney's love for life and his profound connection with the world around him. During the formative stages of his career, Hockney's artistic brilliance manifested through his ability to capture the essence of his subjects with remarkable economy, using pencil, coloured crayon, and pen and ink.
Visitors to the exhibition will be enthralled by Hockney's depictions of everyday objects, still lifes and architectural works. From a box of matches on a table to bunches of spring onions and leeks, Hockney's works exemplify his ability to find beauty in the more intimate and seemingly ordinary aspects of life. Whether capturing the character of his subjects, or rendering furniture and empty spaces with sensitivity and wit, Hockney's drawings capture a depth of emotion that cannot be easily replicated in grand painted portraits. The exhibition is organised by the Holburne Museum, Bath. With many of Hockney’s drawings on loan from private collections, ‘Love Life’ is a wonderful way to enjoy his artistry.
“I am so excited to present this wonderful show of master drawings, some well-known and some rarely seen” says curator Chris Stephens. “I have long believed David Hockney to be one of the greatest draughtsmen of all time and I consider his drawings of the later 60s and 70s to be among the greatest works by him and,
for that matter, by anyone else.”
Much as he is a renowned painter and draughtsman, Hockney is also an accomplished printmaker, stage designer, photographer and videographer. Now in his 80s, Hockney continues to be an innovator by embracing new technologies and changing his style accordingly. From his portraits and images of Los Angeles swimming pools, through to his drawings, Polaroid compositions, Yorkshire landscapes and spring paintings, Hockney has amassed a body of work that continues to make him one of Britain’s best-loved artists.
Nathaniel Hepburn, Director and Chief Executive at Charleston says: “Made over sixty years ago, Hockney's drawings of intimate moments still resonate with a freshness and joy. It’s wonderful to see these works at Charleston – a place where art and experimental thinking have always been placed at the centre of everyday life. Hockney's work exemplifies these ideals, finding beauty in the ordinary moments.” www.charleston.org.uk
c-wise from opp top: David Hockney, Peter 1966. Pencil, colored pencil and ink on 2 sheets of paper 11.34 x 25.34 © David Hockney Photo Fabrice Gibert. David Hockney, 1059 Balboa Blvd. 1967. Colored pencil on paper 35.56 x 45.1 cm (14 x 17.75 inches) © David Hockney Photo Andy Johnson at AJPhotographics. David Hockney, Christopher Isherwood's House, Santa Monica 1966. Ink on paper 25.2 x 31.5 cm (10 x 12.25 inches) © David Hockney. David Hockney, Ossie Wearing a Fairisle Sweater 1970. Colored pencil on paper 43.18 x 35.56 cm (17 x 14 Inches) © David Hockney. Photo Fabrice Gibert.
In its hundredth year of collecting and exhibiting art, Towner Eastbourne is hosting the Turner Prize 2023.
One of the best-known prizes for the visual arts in the world, the Turner Prize aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art. This year’s shortlisted artists are; Jesse Darling, Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim and Barbara Walker. The announcement of the winner will take place on 5th December 2023.
The Turner Prize exhibition is accompanied by a series of events and major public artworks across Eastbourne in association with Eastbourne ALIVE. Across the centre of town, you’ll find a series of artworks exploring the notion of a modern-day monument, taking inspiration from the resort’s original mid-nineteenth century design.
There are many routes to explore – from the station you can walk to Nathan Coley’s large scale light installation, I Don’t Have Another Land sited on the roof of Eastbourne Library. Continuing your journey through Little Chelsea towards Towner, you will find a new commission Garden by Turner Prize 2019 winner Helen Cammock at Eastbourne’s historic Winter Gardens. Arriving at Towner,
28 September 2023 to 14 April 2024
Free Admission townereastbourne.org.uk
Jesse Darling
Ghislaine Leung
Rory Pilgrim
Barbara Walker
you can admire Michael Rakowitz’s winged bull sculpture The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist (Lamassu of Nineveh). Rounding back to the heart of the town to Terminus Road, step inside It’s Nicer To Be Nice, an immersive work by Eve De Haan. From there you can explore other artworks and events from the Pier to the Redoubt. Find out more at www.eastbournealive.co.uk.
The Turner Prize 2023 is sponsored by King & McGaw and the Educational Partner is the University of Sussex, with support from Eastbourne Borough Council, East Sussex County Council and University of Sussex, the Turner Prize will bring transformative cultural and social experiences for visitors and residents.
www.townereastbourne.co.uk
will celebrate amateur and professional artists from across Sussex
Submissions are open for Worthing Theatres and Museum's biennial WTM OPEN Exhibition which will run in Worthing Museum this winter.
The OPEN23 will offer artists from across Sussex the exciting opportunity to exhibit their work within a distinguished gallery space. But artists must hurry, submissions close on Friday 27th October 2023 at 5pm. Work can be submitted online at www.wtm.uk/open23
Submitting work to this exhibition is open to anyone who lives or works in East or West Sussex, and amateur or professional artists of all ages are welcome to submit up to three pieces. The final exhibition will then be formed of work selected by a panel of external guest judges.
The OPEN23 Exhibition will run in Worthing Museum’s Main and Norwood Galleries from Saturday 2nd December 2023, with a launch event taking place on Thursday 30th November, 6-8pm.
Walder, WTM Fine Art Curator, “Once again we're preparing ourselves for a busy OPEN23, and looking forward to the influx of local creativity with anticipation. I love working on the open exhibitions – it's an opportunity to meet local artists and participants, as well connect with artists and communities from neighbouring towns which often means welcoming many new faces. Diversity, creativity and community spirit threads through the whole 'open' exhibition process, and the selected exhibition is always an unknown vision until the very last minute. I'm really looking forward to it.”
The OPEN23 comes two years after the huge success of WTM’s OPEN21 which featured over 160 pieces across two galleries and included a huge range of work with diverse and contrasting styles, and a variety of different mediums including 3D sculpture and photography, alongside work in acrylic, oil, pencil and pen.
WTM is accepting submissions from Monday 17th July to Friday 27th October, 5pm. Find out more about the OPEN23 at www. wtm.uk/open23.
Chichester
Festival Theatre’s winter season offers a fabulously varied array of some of the best touring productions currently on offer in the UK.
Five-star shows coming direct from the West End include Life of Pi, Noises Off and 2:22 A Ghost Story, while star-studded dramas range from A Voyage Round My Father with Rupert Everett to The Merchant of Venice 1936 with Tracy-Ann Oberman, and Jane Asher in Somerset Maugham’s The Circle. The original cast of Drop the Dead Donkey are reuniting on stage, and the Nina Simone-inspired Black is the Color of My Voice arrives following a sell-out tour.
Christmas at CFT this year will be a true family affair as, alongside Chichester Festival Youth Theatre’s new dramatisation of The Jungle Book for ages 7+, there’s a perfect first musical for ages 3 to 7 in the Minerva: the Unicorn Theatre production of Stiles & Drewe’s The Three Billy Goats Gruff directed by Chichester’s new Artistic Director Justin Audibert. And for the first time ever, Father Christmas himself is taking up residence in Santa’s Grotto.
There’s also a plethora of music, comedy and performance from favourites such as Judi Dench, Rob Brydon, and Fisherman’s Friends and the BBC Concert Orchestra, and lots more entertainment for families, on stage and off.
The Merchant Of Venice 1936
Minerva Theatre, 21st to 25th November
Ambition, power and political unrest explode onto the stage in The Merchant of Venice 1936, direct from the RSC. Starring Tracy-Ann Oberman as Shylock, Shakespeare’s classic is transported to 1930s Britain in this unforgettable, electrifying new production from director Brigid Larmour.
Noises Off
Festival Theatre, 9th to 13th January
Liza Goddard, Matthew Kelly and Simon Shepherd
Direct from the West End, one of the greatest British comedies ever written embarks on a major UK tour. Michael Frayn’s celebrated play serves up a riotous double bill, a play within a play, directed by Lindsay Posner.
Hurtling along at breakneck speed, Noises Off follows the on and off stage antics of a touring theatre company as they stumble their way through the fictional farce, ‘Nothing On’.
Shakespeare and Me
Judy Dench in conversation with Brendan O’Hea Festival Theatre, 3rd November
Celebrating their new book Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays The Rent, Judi will walk us through her love letter to the nation’s greatest playwright, all brightened by her signature mischievous sense of humour. With never-before-heard stories, the triumphs, disasters, backstage shenanigans and moments from Shakespeare’s greatest works, this
unique occasion will be an evening not to miss.
Chichester Festival Youth Theatre
The Jungle Book Festival Theatre, 16th to 31st December
This Christmas experience Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book like never before, as our brand-new adaptation by Sonali Bhattacharyya spins into exciting, pulsating life – featuring original songs by Ruth Chan written especially for Chichester Festival Youth Theatre.
With a huge cast of characters from the formidable snake Kaa and laughing jackal Tabaqui, to Ikki the gossiping porcupine and Mao the strutting peacock, this beloved tale is a coming of age story about the desire for freedom that beats in the heart of every child.
Visit www.cft.org.uk for full information about what’s on and more at the theatre.
Such varied cinema on show!
Whattreats await film goers at Uckfield’s awardwinning cinema. There are cult films, mainstream films, films featuring exhibitions, music, opera and ballet and theatre.
One excellent example is on 30th October, Klimt and The Kiss is screening. Directed by Ali Ray, the film delves into The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, one of the most recognised and reproduced paintings in the world, the evocative image of an unknown embracing couple captivating viewers with its mystery,
sensuality and dazzling materials ever since it was created. But just what lies behind the appeal of the painting – and just who was the artist that created it? Visit www.picturehouseuckfield.com for full details.
opposite top: a still from Madama Butterfly on the
this
always has an amazing array of authentic visiting musicians and bands and this autumn is no different: Sarah Smout visits on 29th November, a cellist, singer and activist who creates music and poetry that is deeply-rooted in nature and place.
Sarah's music has been played on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Look North and used by Greenpeace, COP26 and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. For over a decade she has toured and recorded internationally with the likes of Michael Chapman, Bridget St John, The Mediaeval Baebes, The Magpies, Gren Bartley and many more.
Yearning for adventure, and a tour that could go at a slower and more environmentally friendly pace, she embarked on a month-long odyssey to Iceland, travelling by boat via Orkney, Shetland and the Faroes. These experiences have inspired an entrancing solo show called Eyjar (Old Norse for ‘islands’) which explores our connections to place, the different lenses through which we view the land, and what that means for our relationship with nature.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 11th November
Drawing on the wealth of peculiar episodes from both Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Box Tale Soup theatre company invite you down the rabbit hole into a timeless world of wondrous fantasy. Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland floods onto the stage in a whirl of strange contraptions and curious characters. From the Cheshire Cat to the madness of the Tea Party, this is a constantly inventive and refreshing take on a classic work.
And, with Yuletide approaching, LP Creatives and Ropetackle Arts Centre present Jack and the Beanstalk, a fabulous Panto with the community at its heart!
You can’t GROW wrong with this pantomime… this Christmas LP Creatives are back by popular demand for an eleventh pantomime run, this time with the
timeless tale of Jack and the Beanstalk!
The giant’s wife Gobblegore is fed up with no one paying the rent and will stop at nothing to rule everything and everyone – but there is one man with his allies standing firmly in her way...
An amazing cast are raring to climb that huuge beanstalk and see the return of favourites James Austin-Harvey as Dame Flora Trott and Nick Beat as her idling son Jack! “This hilarious duo loved every part of being in Sleeping Beauty last year and we are looking forward to Jack and the Beanstalk being even better, with comedy, romance, magic, catchy songs and dance numbers!” says LP Creatives’ producer and writer.
As well as the professional cast and first-class production values, the company auditions local children to take part in the dance numbers, which adds a special flavour to the show. Executive producer Lorna Price says: “They work really hard and become local stars in their own right. We have built up an excellent rapport with the good folk of Shoreham to reach cult status within the community.”
Jack and the Beanstalk runs from 15th to 31st December.
https://ropetacklecentre.co.uk.
a snapshot of what’s on this autumn
Worthing Symphony Orchestra
Jess Gillam – Stars in Her Eyes Assembly Hall, 29th October 2.45pm
The sensational saxophonist and BBC presenter Jess Gillam returns to Worthing with Barbara Thompson’s Saxophone Concerto. Barbara was an extraordinary pioneer, captivated by the jazz world of Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, she formed her own band Paraphernalia and performed alongside Jon Hiseman, her husband, in the acclaimed jazz/ rock band Colosseum. Many have heard her playing the titles for ‘A Touch of Frost’.
The orchestra will also perform John Williams’ iconic scores to Stars Wars and E.T. and Malcolm Arnold’s Sixth Symphony, composed during his Cornish period in St Merryn, near Padstow. It includes allusions to jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker, an elegiac slow movement and a rousing finale which nods at Shostakovich’s Festival Overture.
Faith Healer by Brian Friel Connaught Theatre, 17th November
Brian Friel takes us on an extraordinary journey with a brand new tale. Frank Hardy has a gift. A gift of healing. A frayed banner hangs outside a desolate village hall. The sick, the suffering and the desperate arrive from out of the wind and the rain. They come in search of restoration, a cure. They are promised ‘a performance’, an opportunity to spend an intimate moment with a mercurial showman, who offers hope and salvation to the afflicted.
Through the 1950s and 1960s, Hardy and his wife, Grace, travel to remote corners of Scotland and Wales, before eventually returning to Frank’s native Ireland. Accompanied by his manager Teddy, they move from village to village, bringing with them an unpredictable mix of theatricality and the spiritual. Using four enthralling monologues to interweave the stories of these three intriguing characters, Brian Friel takes us on an extraordinary journey of shifting perspectives and uncertain memories.
Fairytale of New York – Coming Home For Christmas, 26th November, Assembly Hall
This hugely popular Irish-inspired Christmas show will have you singing and laughing to get you in the festive mood! Direct from the West End and after a phenomenal sell out debut tour, it’s the ultimate feel good Irish-inspired Christmas show.
From the producers of Seven Drunken Nights –
The Story of The Dubliners and featuring an international cast of singers, musicians and dancers, Fairytale of New York brings you all of your favourite Christmas songs including Driving home for Christmas, White Christmas, Oh Holy Night, Winter’s Tale, Silent Night and of course The Fairytale of New York.
And just when you think the party couldn’t get any better, this world class show also features some of the greatest Irish sing-a-long songs of all time including The Galway Girl, The Irish Rover, Wagon Wheel, Danny Boy, Dirty Old Town and The Black Velvet Band. Try not to dance in the aisles!
Visit https://wtm.uk to see all on offer at the theatres and museum.
Pitchy Breath Theatre Company presents
The Tempest
The Studio, 16th to 18th November
One of Shakespeare’s greatest works, The Tempest is an emotionally resonant comedy which explores themes of forgiveness, parenthood, love, and redemption. In a twist on the original plot, Prospera is a sorcerer and the exiled former Duke of Milan. Since her betrayal, she has been living on a remote island with her daughter Miranda. Using powerful magic, she wrecks a ship carrying the courtiers who usurped her and, with the help of a spirit named Ariel, orchestrates a revenge plot against them. Once washed ashore, the survivors quickly realise that on this fantastical island, nothing is as it seems!
Great Romantics by Candlelight – Ensemble Reza
The Studio, 15th December
Ensemble Reza’s special candlelit festive concert features some of the most romantic and expressive music from the 19th Century.
Join them on a beautiful journey featuring the soulful melodies of Dvořak’s String Sextet and the wonderful Serenade for Strings by Tchaikovsky. In the warm glow of candlelight, this concert will be the perfect start to any festive season.
The Ronnie Scott's Story
25th November
Set amongst the dive bars and jazz joints of London’s Soho, we hear about the desperate hand-to-mouth
finances of the early years and the frequent police raids. We hear how Ronnie's became neutral ground within rife gang territory and their scrapes with gangsters including the Krays who were rumoured to have taken Ronnie and Pete 'for a little drive'!
Life at Ronnie’s is evocatively reimagined through tales of the club’s past visitors, from pop stars, film stars and politicians to comedians and royalty, but above all, the musicians. Mixing classic music from the jazz greats who have performed at Ronnie Scott’s over its incredible 60 plus year history, alongside tales of old Soho, miscreant musicians and police raids, this is a unique evening celebrating one of the world's most famous jazz venues, its music, and history.
A Christmas Carol 20th to 24th December
Celebrate the festive season as critically acclaimed company TIMT bring Charles Dickens’ classic tale to life in a stunning one-act adaptation that will warm hearts. Joined by a community ensemble and with traditional carols throughout, this will definitely get all of the family in the mood for Christmas.
Sleeping Beauty 8th to 31st December
Fun-filled family pantomime starring West End superstar Carrie Hope Fletcher, CBeebies favourite Andy Day, West End star Scott Paige and Crawley's favourite dame Michael J Batchelor.
Once again, the show will be written and directed by the award-winning Paul Hendy and produced by the same team behind the five-star Box Office smashhit, All New Adventures of Peter Pan.
Visit www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/the-hawth.
Being somewhat of an amateur psychologist, I was fascinated to hear of this upcoming performance by Pecho Mama in November.
I’m sure half the planet is familiar with the concept of the Oedipus complex, introduced to the world by Sigmund Freud in his 1899 work Interpretation of Dreams. Gosh that’s nearly 125 years ago!
I’m not sure, however, that it’s fully understood by most people. The theory asserts a desire for sexual involvement with the parent of the opposite sex and a concomitant sense of rivalry with the parent of the same sex and considers this a crucial stage in the normal developmental process in a child from age three to five, after which the child begins to identify with the parent of the same sex.
All very strange, as I never felt like this at all when I was a growing lad. I wonder how common it actually is. Methinks it’s a very small minority.
It stems from a story in Greek mythology, Oedipus unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother Jocasta. All very dramatic and perfect for a theatre group to delve into.
And so, Pecho Mama bring us a radical reinvention of the myth; a powerhouse production for our times, telling Jocasta's story, and marrying London’s
domestic grit with searing live electronica. An electrifying re-imagining of the ultimate love triangle. Mother. Father. Son
Jo is a playwright struggling with a commission deadline and the threat of an emergency hysterectomy. Over twenty-four mind-bending hours, she feverishly writes her own Oedipus and exorcises her long-buried grief for the child that didn’t live.
Oedipus Electronica takes us to the playground of the female psyche, in all its feral, carnal and creative glory. Mella Faye (who performs, writes and directs) has created a multi-layered powerhouse of a theatre show, driven by a muscular live band on stage. It’s a spectacle that is fearless, uncompromising and unlike anything else you’ve seen on the stage.
And by way of contrast… Steeleye Span arrives at The Old Market on 23rd November.
These folk rock pioneers changed the face of folk music forever, taking it out of small clubs and into the world of gold discs and international tours. Despite many line-up changes, the band are celebrating over fifty years of wonderful music.
With a work rate to put many younger artists to shame, the band’s eighth album in twelve years – 2016’s Dodgy Bastards – saw them return to the folk tales and characters that have always been at the heart of the Steeleye sound, with a record that saw the folk rock pioneers continue to draw on stories of murder, religion, incest, skulls, honour killings and tormented spirits.
Visit www.theoldmarket.com to discover all that The Old Market has to offer.
Audiences in Tunbridge Wells will experience something 'singularly sensational' when Tunbridge Wells Operatic and Dramatic Society brings the iconic musical 'A Chorus Line' to Trinity Theatre from 21st to 25th November.
Set in New York City in 1975, the musical unfolds on an empty Broadway stage, where a group of performers are put through their paces in a gruelling audition for the chorus line of a brand-new show. Only eight will make the cut. The audition takes an unexpected turn as the director invites the performers to open up about their lives and what brought them into theatre. The emotional stakes are heightened when his ex-lover arrives wanting to audition for the chorus line.
What follows are searing stories of childhood ambition and shattered dreams told through iconic songs including ‘One’, ‘I Hope I Get It’, ‘Nothing’ and the heartfelt ballad ‘What I Did For Love’. No wonder the stage show has won nine Tony Awards including Best Musical Production and Best Musical Score.
Performances take place at 7.30pm each day with additional matinee performances at 2.30pm on Wednesday 22nd November and Saturday 25th November. The Thursday evening performance will be signed.
Bucket collections will take place after each performance to raise funds for Hospice in the Weald, the official charity partner for A Chorus Line.
To book tickets please visit www.twods.org or call the box office on 01892 678678
1st to 31st December, the enchanting classic love story, Beauty and The Beast, is set to captivate you.
With a bespoke set crafted in-house by The Capitol's talented team, our production boasts special effects, whimsical costumes and lots of surprises.
Directed by Julie Atherton, this familyfriendly show promises to be the ultimate treat for audiences of all ages. Get ready to be swept away by this timeless tale of love, transformation and courage, brought to life by our incredible cast.
Visit www.thecapitolhorsham.com for full details of this and other productions.
An Evening with The Hollies Congress Theatre, 27th October
When I was a lad up north, my cousin Carol was besotted with the Hollies. And so, by a sort of familial osmosis, I came to hear a lot of their music and became fan. Having some oddball idea of being a musician myself, I even bought a book by founder member Graham Nash entitled, as I recall, How to Start a Beat Group.
As I matured I kept an eye on their progress and it’s amazing to see that after 60 years they have announced a UK tour celebrating embarking upon their 7th decade. Interestingly the tour occurs just after Graham Nash, who left the Hollies and found fame with Crosby, Stills and Nash (and sometimes Neil Young), completed the UK leg of his solo tour.
Albeit, only two members of the original group remain, Tony Hicks and drummer Bobby Elliot, but nevertheless, what an achievement. And an absolute treasure trove of a back catalogue, over 20 worldwide hits, number one singles in both the US and UK and spending an astonishing 263 weeks in the UK top 40 official singles chart.
In 2010 they were deservedly inducted into the American Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Three performances by the London Philharmonic Orchestra: starting with Brahms Symphony No.2 Congress Theatre, 22nd October. Artists: Charlotte Politi conductor; Samson Tsoy piano.
When Brahms spent a summer in the Austrian Alps, the music just poured out of him. His Second Symphony is one of those pieces that seems to glow with summer sunshine: music of soaring melodies and majestic vistas. It’s a lovely contrast to Beethoven’s stormiest piano concerto played by Samson Tsoy. Charlotte Politi is an inaugural participant in the LPO Conducting Fellowship programme.
Mozart & Beethoven Congress Theatre, 26th November
Beethoven Symphony No. 4 Artists: Bertie Baigent conductor; Benjamin Mellefont clarinet.
Beethoven’s imagination ran riot with his brilliant Fourth Symphony; dancing, singing and turning cartwheels for joy. There’s a good reason why Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is one of the best-loved of all classical concertos – and with the LPO’s Principal Clarinet Benjamin Mellefont as soloist, you’ll hear why.
Elgar's Cello Concerto Congress Theatre, 14th January. Artists: Gabriella Teychenné conductor; Laura van der Heijden cello.
“There is music in the air” said Edward Elgar, and deep in the Sussex Downs, he found the inspiration for his Cello Concerto.
A century later, we’ve taken it to our hearts, and in
Prague they feel much the same way about Smetana’s The Bartered Bride and Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony. Conductor Gabriella Teychenné will make them both leap to life and one of the leading cellists of her generation, Laura van der Heijden, takes the spotlight in Elgar’s haunting, hugely-popular concerto.
And it’s pantomime time! Beauty & The Beast
Devonshire Park Theatre
8th December to 14th January
The Devonshire Park pantomime team are back with a beauty of a show, packed with live music, sensational costumes, colourful sets and rip-roaring adventure!
Carli Norris returns as the wickedly fabulous Malevolent with laughs from Eastbourne favourites Tucker and Martyn Knight. Plus Brendan Hooper as Beauty’s father Jean Jaques, Rebecca Vere as Fairy Formidable, Katie Cochrane as Beauty and Lewes Roberts is Prince.
The Devonshire Park pantomime is the ultimate festive celebration. Christmas isn’t Christmas without pantomime so don't miss out, book now. For all details and booking visit www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk.
by Charles Dickens
ThisChristmas, audiences are invited to celebrate the festive season as critically acclaimed theatre company TIMT brings Charles Dickens’ classic tale A Christmas Carol to life in a stunning one-act adaptation.
Following TIMT’s previous winter productions of The Snow Queen, and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, TIMT are delighted to be back this year for another Christmas. Their adaptation of Charles Dickens’ festive classic –packed with charm, cheer and, of course, plenty of carols – will be sure to warm hearts and spread joy this Winter.
On Christmas Eve, Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean-spirited and miserly old man, is visited by the ghost of his business partner, Jacob Marley. Shown visions of Christmases Past, Present and Future he is offered one final chance of redemption… But will he take it?
Sarah Slator, director of TIMT said: “We are very much looking forward to our Christmas tour this year. We have created this
adaptation to be fun and vibrant to capture imaginations and engage audiences of all ages. Our production closely follows the original Dickens novel and we are looking forward to creating a truly magical and festive production for our audiences, with traditional carols and live music arranged and interwoven throughout by resident composer Simon Stallard.”
The national tour starts on 17th November with seven venues in our area, culminating at the Hawth in Crawley from 20th to 24th December. For full details and how to book visit www.thisismytheatre.com/a-christmas-carol.
Theaward-winning English Youth Ballet will present its charming production of Coppélia in Crawley.
The ballet will star international principal dancers who have performed in some of the world’s great companies, including Northern Ballet and Vienna Festival Ballet, and showcase the exciting talent of 100 local young dancers. Nearly 200 dancers attended the exciting audition in July.
The story of Coppélia follows the escapades of the dreamy Franz and how he comically falls in love with a beautiful, life-like doll. The doll – Coppélia – is created by the eccentric yet mysterious inventor, Dr Coppelius. The hilarious plot thickens when Franz’s jealous lover, Swanhilda, takes her friends on an adventure into the spooky house of the mad inventor to confront her rival. Of course, the story ends happily after the truth is uncovered. The whole town joins the most extravagant wedding celebration for the smitten Franz and Swanhilda.
Colourful and comical, this ballet is perfect for the whole family. For full details visit www.englishyouthballet.co.uk or www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/the-hawth.
top: TIMT, Simon Stallard as Bob Cratchitt, photo Patch Harvey; below: EYB Principals Amy Drew and Brenden Bratulic, photo Peter Mares
Two memorable productions – the hallmarks of summer Robin Hood
It was a hot Sunday afternoon when we turned up at Crawley's Tilgate Park to see This Is My Theatre's production of Robin Hood.
They had set their stage up in a clear space at the edge of woodland and, as we arrived, were singing their signature a capella 'intro' music. What a perfect setting for this classic tale.
To say this production was action-packed is no exaggeration. The famous scene in which Robin confronts Little John on the bridge, complete with battling full-length staffs, set the tone – this wasn't going to be tame. And there were swordfights, lots of them, executed with panache and much loud clashing of metalware. Even Marion, played with more guts than traditional portrayals, was a match for the men.
All the characters were there, from the cruel, heartless Guy of Gisborne to the bumbling Tuck, plucky Little John and naive Will Scarlett, big-hearted Robin, intrepid and dashing, and Marion, beautiful but feisty.
And all the elements of this much loved story were present, from nail-biting tension and intrigue to budding romance, all flowing seamlessly from one scene to the next. Adapting a book like Robin Hood, already the subject of many movies, seems to present no challenge to Director Sarah Slator and the This Is My Theatre company, whose expertise lies in condensing such classics into bite-size pieces without losing the essential identity of the original. The result is a production that can appeal to all, young or old, seasoned theatre-goer or novice.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself – swept up in the struggle between good and evil, transported, for a few hours, from suburban Crawley to the depths of Sherwood Forest!
l-r:
“Brilliant & hilarious! Arrived home with light hearts and smiling faces after watching This Is My Theatre's Much Ado About Nothing at The Hawth's outdoor amphitheatre in Crawley. Another hugely enjoyable evening from this talented company, even the slight drizzle didn't dampen proceedings!”
The play opens as Don Pedro returns home at the end of the war accompanied by Benedick and Claudio.
They visit the home of Leonato where they meet his daughter Hero and her cousin Beatrice. Claudio and Hero fall in love, but Benedick and Beatrice's repartee is but witty sparring. With a plot revolving around the love/hate relationship between Benedick and Beatrice and the mounting will-they-won't-they anticipation, spliced with a generous helping of malicious sabotage by Don Petro's malevolent brother Don John, Shakespeare's classic comedy was in very good hands.
Though the play is over 400 years old the themes are as contemporary as any TV drama – a fact reflected in the decision to raid an army fatigues store for their wardrobe. The addition of a jacket or different cap along with a change of accent denoted a different character as, once again, this talented young company of five actors portrayed more than eleven characters.
For laugh-out-loud funny moments, special mention must go to the farce-like eavesdropping scenes where Benedick and Beatrice each learn of the apparent love the other has for them; and the 'Night Watch' scene in which, in true panto fashion, some of the cast move among and engage the audience, with comic results.
Fast-paced and hugely entertaining, Much Ado About Nothing ticked all the boxes for a great way to watch Shakespeare. Nothing was lost in the adaptation and it was all totally accessible, proving once again that anyone can enjoy The Bard.
Visit www.thisismytheatre.com for what's next.
Fri 6 October
Seldom told tales, enchanting anecdotes, and rare and fascinating footage from her seven decades in showbusiness
Tue 10 & Wed 11 October
Classical Ballet and Opera House with 30 piece opera orchestra present the classic ballets over two nights
Fri 13 & Sat 14 October
The sensational multi award-winning West End and Broadway show makes a triumphant return
Fri 13 October | Studio
Warm, lyrical tones of Vivaldi, Respighi, Rossini and more
Sat 28 October
TV’s Supervet offers an antidote to the hectic whirlwind of modern living showing that love really is all that matters
Fri 3 & Sat 4 November
The award-winning English Youth Ballet returns
Fri 10 November
Multi-award-winning and trail-blazing comedian, Paul Foot, is back with his most personal, surprising and groundbreaking show ever
Sat 11, Sun 12 & Mon 13 November
Baddiel presents three work in progress revivals of his ‘Not the...’ trilogy of shows
Mon 13 - Sat 18 November
Direct from London’s West End the smash-hit production starring Craig Revel Horwood
Thur 16 - Sat 18 November
One of Shakespeare’s greatest works, don’t miss this stylish production which features bold, surreal imagery, and places the focus firmly on the characters in this classic story
Wed 22 November
Straight from the West End, the ultimate feel good Irish-inspired Christmas show is back
Thur 23 November
Frankie Boyle is on tour, giving you an opportunity to grab a laugh or two before the world gets any worse
Fri 24 November
Extended following two sold out runs, Dave Gorman returns with more slideshow-based comedy
Fri 8 - Sun 31 December
Don’t miss this year’s fun-filled pantomime starring West End superstar Carrie Hope Fletcher, CBeebies favourite Andy Day and Crawley’s favourite dame Michael J Batchelor
Wed 20 - Sun 24 December | Studio
Celebrate the festive season with Charles Dickens’ classic tale brought to life in a stunning heart-warming adaptation
The Belgrave House Band perform The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust Sun 5 November, 7.30pm
Secret Affair – The “So Cool” Tour Fri 10 November, 8pm
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Sat 11 November, 2pm (ages 3+)
Hafdís Huld Wed 15 November, 8pm
The Telling brings two stirring shows to Hove, Lewes and Folkestone:
Charles Dickens is haunted by the women he mistreated and extraordinary abbess Hildegard of Bingen revisits visionary experiences from her life.
The first performance of a brand new show What the Dickens? comes to Ralli Hall, Hove on Wednesday 11th October, plus mesmerising show Vision comes to St Mary & St Eanswythe, Folkestone on Saturday 25th November and St Anne’s Church, Lewes on Sunday 26th November. Both shows are by acclaimed playwright/singer Clare Norburn, who grew up in Sussex, her company The Telling and BAFTA-nominated director Nicholas Renton.
What the Dickens? is set on Dickens’ final Christmas Eve, 1869. Against his doctor’s orders, he gives one of his acclaimed theatrical readings of ‘A Christmas Carol’, but from the moment the lights go down, his life becomes strangely entangled with that of his character Scrooge. Dickens’ carefully managed image as a family man, who created the very quintessence of Christmas, starts to unravel. He is haunted by the women he mistreated: his wife Catherine, his mistress Ellen (Nelly) Ternan (who was only 19 when Dickens first approached her – at the age of 45) and the mysterious ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. They
strip aside the jovial public family image Dickens has tried to maintain and force him to face up to his past, present and future. Can Dickens learn from the ghosts, repent and be saved – as Scrooge was saved?
Vision is an imagined testimony of the extraordinary mediaeval abbess, Hildegard of Bingen. The show provides an insight into the painful and visceral visionary experiences Hildegard suffered throughout her life as she re-experiences meaningful episodes from her past, alongside her haunting and distinctive chant performed live by The Telling.
An Arthouse Film adaption of Vision was released in 2020 in response to lockdown restrictions and tour cancellations. The film received critical acclaim and was selected by The Guardian as one of their online watching highlights alongside Edinburgh and Salzburg Festivals.
Visit https://www.thetelling.co.uk/diary for more info and to book tickets.
far left: Michael Temporal-Darrell; left: Thalie Knights, NSO
“New Sussex Opera really does have this knack of latching onto brilliant talented people who are absolutely on the way up and about to be snatched by major opera houses.” – Suzy Klein
NSO’s next project, two celebrity concerts in November 'Sir John Tomlinson and Friends' in Chichester and Eastbourne, are fund-raisers for the next major production – John Frederick Lampe’s 1737 smash hit The Dragon of Wantley, based on a Yorkshire legend but a send-up of Handel. This production will tour Lewes, Hove, Tunbridge Wells, Winchester, Eastbourne and Blackheath.
World renowned bass Sir John Tomlinson is joined by a number of talented young singers who have already sung in NSO productions, in some cases having graduated from the NSO Chorus. They will include tenor Anthony Flaum, Paris in La Belle Hélène and Tremolini in The Princess of Trébizonde; Keira Smitheram, Marguerite, Harrison Gration, Mephistopheles, Rebecca Hughes, Siebel, Michael Temporal Darrell, Valentin (all in Faust); Thalie Knights, Frédérick in Mignon.
The works will be introduced by Cate Couch, who directed our recent production of Faust, and the pianist will be NSO’s chorus master Nicholas Houghton. There will be ensemble scenes, duets, solos and choruses by composers including Gounod, Mussorgsky ('The death
of Boris'), Verdi, Sullivan, Lampe, Wagner, Strauss, Bizet and Saint-Saëns.
A chance to hear one of the world’s most distinguished singers up close, together with some rising stars, in a varied programme of works, some familiar, some lesser known. For more details visit www.newsussexopera.org.
Ensemble Reza are celebrating their tenth anniversary season with the exciting news that Dame Judi Dench has kindly agreed to become Patron of the group.
Dame Judi said “I’m a real fan of Ensemble Reza, having attended several concerts over the last year. The passion and virtuosity of the musicians is evident in every note they play, and their shared sense of musicianship results in outstanding performances which leave audiences cheering for more!”
Ensemble Reza offers welcoming and friendly concerts. The group of two violins, two violas and two cellos, can include any combination of string players from soloist to sextet and occasionally a few extra instruments including accordion, bouzouki, guitar, ukulele, banjo, double bass and piano. Individually members have performed worldwide with globally renowned orchestras, theatre groups and ensembles.
Ensemble Reza’s 10th Anniversary concert will be a special candlelit event on 25th November at 7pm at Holy Trinity Church, Cuckfield. A second Candlelit Concert will take place in the Studio at the Hawth Theatre, Crawley on 15th December at 7.30pm.
With a programme of beautiful music and the warm glow of candlelight these concerts will be the perfect start to any festive season. Tickets available from www.ensemblereza.com/events
New Sussex Opera presents
St Paul’s Church, Chichester
7.30 pm Friday November 10
St Saviour’s Church, Eastbourne 4 pm Sunday November 19
Booking: www.�cketsource.co.uk/nso - 0333 666 3366 (for advance booking discount)
Solos, duets, ensembles and choruses, some familiar, some lesser known, with a reprise of past favourites and a taster of the future. Gounod, Mussorgsky, Verdi, Sullivan, Wagner, Strauss, Bizet, Saint-Saëns www.newsussexopera.org
LIVE MUSIC IN HORSHAM Autumn 2023 presented by Horsham Music Circle for the 82nd Season
SATURDAY 21st OCTOBER
Causeway Barn 7.00pm
Luca Imperiale recorder
Ozgur Kaya viola da gamba
Apolline Khou harpsichord works by Marais, Telemann and Boismortier
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SATURDAY 25th NOVEMBER
St Mary’s Church 7.00pm
HARRY THE PIANO an entertaining and inspirational evening of invention from one of the world’s most gifted improvising pianists
TICKETS Phone: 01403 252602 email: horshammusiccircle@gmail.com online from www.wegottickets.com/HorshamMusicCircle
www.horsham-music-circle.org.uk
25th NOVEMBER 7pm, CUCKFIELD CHURCH
15th DECEMBER
7.30pm, THE HAWTH, CRAWLEY
WWW.ENSEMBLEREZA.COM REGISTERED CHARITY No. 1158708
Saturday 16th December at St Andrew’s Church Burgess Hill, RH15 0LG
Tickets £15.00 & £5.00 (students & under 16s) from Burgess Hill Help Point and the website where you can find details of other Sussex Chorus concerts www.sussexchorus.org
It is over 100 years ago that a few singers first came together in Ditchling to form the Ditchling Women’s Institute Choral Society to compete in the Lewes Music Festival. Men were permitted to join the choir to provide a vocal balance and so the Ditchling Choral Society was established.
Under the baton of Stephen Anthony Brown, the choir has performed several successful concerts, the latest of which were Dvořak’s Stabat Mater and the first performance in Sussex of Timothy Hamilton’s Requiem.
Our rehearsals are on Monday evenings (term time) from 7.15pm to 9.15pm at St Paul’s Catholic College in Burgess Hill. In addition to learning a range of music, members are supported to improve singing technique, prepare, and then enjoy the thrill of performing in live concerts.
You’re welcome to try a couple of rehearsals to see if it’s right for you, and more information can be found at www.sussexchorus.org or by contacting our Membership Secretary on jackiefb45@gmail.com. Our website will also provide details of our upcoming concerts.
The Horsham Music Circle’s 82nd season continues with a spring series of three concerts for 2024.
The series opens on Saturday 27th January with a visit by the King’s Singers. We have long wanted to have this exemplary group to sing for us and their appearance at the start of a new year promises to be
one of our highlights.
The King's Singers have represented the gold standard in a cappella singing on the world's greatest stages for over fifty years. They are renowned for their unrivalled technique, versatility and skill in performance, and for their consummate musicianship, drawing both on the group's rich heritage and its pioneering spirit to create an extraordinary wealth of original works and unique collaborations. What has always distinguished the group is their comfort in an unprecedented range of styles and genres, pushing the boundaries of their repertoire, while at the same time honouring their origins in the British choral tradition.
Another key to the group's success has been their ability to evolve and innovate over many years – and through 28 individual members –while always retaining this special sound and musical integrity. Made up of two counter-tenors, a tenor, two baritones and a bass, the group has maintained this line up ever since they were formed. They are known and loved around the world, and appear regularly in major cities, festivals and venues across Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia and now soon to be in Horsham!
More details to come, please visit www.horsham-music-circle.org.uk
Naomi Butcher, Tonbridge Philharmonic Society’s Music Director, has put together an exciting programme for our 2023/24 season, with an emphasis on English music.
The season will start on 25th November at The Chapel of St Augustine at Tonbridge School with an entirely English programme of orchestral and choral music, beginning with Folkestone-born Susan SpainDunk’s Kentish Downs overture (a work well suited as an adventure film score), leading on to Holst’s Six Folk Songs and Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs; sacred pieces of which the final one is ‘Let all the world in every corner sing!’
The choir will be saving something extra for the second half of the concert in which, together with the orchestra, they will perform Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast. The apocalyptic story from the Old Testament describing Belshazzar receiving the ‘writing on the wall’ and having Daniel interpret it for him, was first performed in Leeds in 1931. The Church of England found the text shocking and inappropriate for performance in their cathedrals, and it was forty years before it was included in a programme in Worcester Cathedral. Fortunately for us the shock has faded, but the impact of this wonderful work has not.
On 17th February 2024 our orchestral concert will comprise music by Strauss and Smetana as well as Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 4. The chapel of St Augustine will resound again on 23rd March for our first performance in more than ten years of the ever popular Bach B Minor Mass. For further information and future dates please visit https://tonphil.org.uk.
Seaford Music Society is one of the oldest music societies in the country and one can trace its origin to 1931, when the eminent oboist Léon Goossens launched Seaford Music Club above the tea rooms in the High Street.
With the onset of World War II, doors were temporarily closed in 1938, opening again in 1946 when the Arts Council initiated a new committee to re-launch the now Seaford Music Club Society.
In 2017 Sebastian Comberti (Principal London Mozart Players) and his wife, having recently relocated from London to the South Coast, took up the challenge of continuing this legacy, and this coming season is to be their most ambitious and exciting yet.
The opening concert on 29th October at Seaford Baptist Church features Mathilde Milwidsky, violin, a Classic FM ‘Under thirty rising star’ and Annie Yim, piano, with a programme to include Prokofiev's Five Melodies, Beethoven's Sonata in A Minor, and the Franck Sonata in A. November 26th concert presents internationally renowned pianist Cordelia Williams, in a Romantic programme of works by Schubert, Debussy, Brahms and Schumann.
Free tickets for under 26s. Doors open at 2.30pm. For further details, including next year's concerts visit www. seafordmusicsociety. com.
top: Naomi Butcher outside the grand Chapel of St Augustine, Tonbridge School; below: Cordelia Williams, photo by Sophie Wright; inset: Mathilde Milwidsky
The Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra, Hastings’ fully professional orchestra begins its 8th Season.
We are very proud to kick off our eighth season. Last season, we put on over twenty concerts including chamber music, choral music, baroque music, opera, and of course, orchestral music. We performed across a large number of venues in Battle, Bexhill, Winchelsea, Rye, Etchingham, Shoreham-by-Sea, Folkestone, as well as Hastings and St Leonard’s.
Our free of charge children’s choir gives children the opportunity to learn music and perform in concerts with the Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra. Our workshops with Create Music have given young musicians the opportunity to work with HPO players.
We offer free of charge tickets to students, under 18s, Universal Credit and Job Seekers Allowance recipients. We strongly believe in the large impact we have on our local community. Our aim is to produce high quality classical music in Hastings and the South East, in collaboration with internationally renowned musicians, and to attract audiences from the whole of the South East and beyond to experience Hastings’ exciting cultural life. Our individual and corporate supporters make it possible for us to continue working towards this goal.
This season, we look forward to our first orchestral concert at the White Rock Theatre on Wednesday 18th October at 7.30pm, featuring Beethoven’s 7th Symphony and Brahms’ Violin
Concerto. I will share this concert with conductor Yuri Zhislin and the amazing violinist Natalia Lomeiko.
On 20th December, we will host our third Christmas Gala Concert, which has proven to be our most popular concert every year. We invite you to check our website and join our mailing list, whether you live in Hastings or not. We are fortunate to have audience members timing their visits to Hastings with our concerts. www.hastingsphilorchestra.co.uk.
I really hope to see you at one of our upcoming events. –Marcio da Silva, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor.
left: Marcio da Silva, photo Peter Mould
Classical Ballet at its finest comes to the region
Classical Ballet and Opera House return to the UK with a great new cast and accompanied by a large live orchestra!
After last year’s success the anticipation is high as the Classical Ballet and Opera House returns to the UK with a programme featuring timeless classics such as Swan Lake, the Nutcracker, and Giselle.
Its return to the UK promises to bring a new level of sophistication and culture. Our brand is renowned for its world-class performances, and this year's programming is no exception.
Classical ballet is an art form that requires immense dedication and hard work from its performers. The physical demands of ballet are intense, requiring strength, flexibility, and endurance. However, the rewards of mastering this art form are immeasurable.
We look forward to welcoming you to one of our performances in the region. For more information please go to www.amande-concerts.co.uk
ingénu/e chats with Frances Armstrong, Chair of the RTWSO
2021-2022 was the Centenary Season for the Orchestra, how was the anniversary celebrated? How long have you been Chair, and tell us your feelings about being in the position at the Orchestra’s Centenary.
I took over as Chair of the RTWSO in early 2019, just as the pandemic was taking hold. It was a challenging time, with all of our concerts being cancelled over a period of eighteen months. The lead-up to the start of our Centenary Season in October 2021 was fraught with uncertainty, but timing of the end of lockdowns was fortuitous for us; happily we were able to celebrate our Centenary Season as planned.
As well as our usual series of six concerts, we staged an extra gala concert. In a complete change of direction from our usual repertoire, the orchestra dressed in full sequins, flares and wigs, joined forces with singers from Capital Voices and performed a 70s Night of hits from Abba, Queen, Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand and many more. To see our audience in the aisles dancing along to YMCA was truly wonderful! As part of our anniversary celebrations we also recorded a Centenary CD; the first time the RTWSO has undertaken a recording project in its 100-year history.
How did I feel about being the Chair at such an important time in the orchestra’s history? Extremely proud. And extremely grateful to the rest of the management committee, volunteers and players who worked tirelessly to ensure that the celebrations went ahead and that we were able to mark the occasion with the gala concert and the recording; two ambitious and hugely worthwhile projects.
When did Nicola Benedetti become the honorary President? Has she played with the orchestra before?
We were honoured that Nicola agreed to become Honorary President of the RTWSO in August 2020. She has performed with the orchestra four times in the past, most recently in 2018 when she played the Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2. Every year we look at calendars in an attempt to bring her back to Tunbridge Wells, but she’s so busy on the international stage and with her Benedetti Foundation that it has proved impossible in recent years. I’m confident we will be able to coordinate dates again at some point!
Tell us about some of the visiting musicians who will
be performing with RTWSO in this season.
This season we have six outstanding soloists performing with us. We welcome the return of Joo Yeon Sir (Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, October). Nicholas Daniel OBE (Strauss Oboe Concerto, November) returns for his eighth performance with the RTWSO, and we are thrilled to welcome back Sir Stephen Hough (Dvořak Piano Concerto, April), another longterm friend of the orchestra. Joanna MacGregor (Britten Piano Concerto, February), Fenella Humphreys (Sibelius Violin Concerto, March) and Aaron Azunda Akugbo (Haydn Trumpet Concerto, November) all join us this season for their RTWSO debuts.
What’s in store for the orchestra in the near future? Are there many younger musicians coming through the ranks?
In the immediate future we have the ongoing task of bringing our audience numbers back up to pre-pandemic numbers. As with so many other areas within the performing arts it’s been a long, slow process for our audience to regain confidence and concert-going habits, but overall the trajectory is looking positive.
We are always on the lookout for new members. The RTWSO is a ‘pro-am’ orchestra, meaning that it is made up of approximately 45 local non-professional members who rehearse weekly, and a further approximately 35 professional players drawn from London and the South East who join us on concert days. We would be delighted to have the ratio higher in favour of local members, however until we can find and recruit more players, particularly brass and upper strings, we have to bring in the extra professionals to bring the orchestra up to full symphonic numbers. And of course, working this way creates terrific opportunities for our local members to experience performing alongside some of the top players in the business.
As for younger musicians, we are proud to support and encourage young musical talent in and around Tunbridge Wells. Over the last two seasons we had a good handful of exceptionally talented sixth-formers who came along and played with us regularly at our Friday evening rehearsals, some of whom also got the opportunity to take part in our concerts. Sadly we’ve lost several of them to university this year, but there are more youngsters coming through and it’s wonderful to see them develop their playing and their confidence week after week.
The RTWSO’s 2023-24 season opens on 1st October. For more information and tickets visit www.rtwso.org
A sample of music presented by
Created by
Anna Moulson,
Brighton’s Melting Vinyl has a mission to provide a platform where gigs are more women-inclusive and less ageist, bringing fresh, innovative talent to the town.
An Evening with Charlie Beddoes and Nasty Little Lonely plus special guests The Rossi Bar, Brighton – 17th November
Bass player, vocalist and author Charlie Beddoes hosts a night of words, visuals and live performance celebrating 40 years in music. Charlie was a founder member of 90s band Rub Ultra, sessioned for many artists including Emiliana Torrini and Trash Palace and recently published a memoir, ‘OVERDRIVEN’. Expect tragically funny stories, rare video footage and previously unheard recordings followed by a set with her band Nasty Little Lonely.
Lankum + Special Guests
Chalk Live, Brighton – 12th December
Descending from the Irish capital city of Dublin, Lankum are a contemporary folk quartet who remain loyal to the traditional ideals of the genre whilst also embracing the modern and the unexplored. Lankum’s sound is highly intriguing, beautiful, and at times very unsettling being built upon the foundations of
traditional Irish folk vocals, haunting string arrangements, powerfully reverberant percussion, and creaking guitars amongst many others. This quartet uses music to create emotional scenes which are strange, intense, uplifting, and excitingly refreshing for a roots genre, making Lankum a virtuosic group within the experimental contemporary.
Visit www.meltingvinyl.co.uk for details and more of what’s on via Melting Vinyl.
above: Charlie Beddoes
below: Lankum, photo by Brian Flanagan
With uplifting vocals and a wondrous torchlit procession, The Mediæval Bæbes' Christmas tour will wind its way magically towards All Saints Church, Ryde, the Isle of Wight, on Wednesday 6th December, and St Mary’s Church in Horsham on Monday 18th December.
Set to enchant the audience right from the very start, concert goers are urged to join in the pomp, ceremony and pageantry, or just enjoy the torchlit spectacle. Families, musicians and reenactors are also invited to enhance the procession in whatever way they enjoy. Bring a drum, a lantern, or dress up and frolic as this immersive experience sets the tone for the magical evening to come.
Lush, ethereal harmonies and a dazzling array of exotic and period instruments will see the Mediæval
Bæbes weaving their magic and exalting the true spirit of Christmas once again. Joyous music from this classical chart-topping choir will showcase tracks from the latest seasonal album MydWynter, alongside wellknown Christmas carols and traditional folk songs. And, as captivating storytelling uncovers the origins and folklore behind the lyrics, innovative settings of ancient and romantic poetry will be seamlessly intertwined in the spirited and beguiling choral music.
The Mediæval Bæbes are one of the most successful female-led, early music and folk ensembles in Europe. Over the years, the Mediæval Bæbes have released eleven studio albums and won an Ivor Novella Award for their performance on the BBC serialisation ‘The Virgin Queen’. They have also received two Emmy nominations and a Royal Television Society award as the featured artist alongside composer Martin Phipps, for the TV theme tune of ITV’s hit show ‘Victoria’.
In 2023, their recent collaboration with Orbital’s ‘Ringa Ringa’ enjoyed number 6 status in the album charts, and their unique ‘siren call’ was invited to collaborate with the TikTok lockdown sensation The Wellermen, as part of their remix album ‘Explorations’.
Come join the Mediæval Bæbes and be immersed in glorious merriment. Tickets are now available from www.mediaevalbaebes.com
De La Warr Pavilion – 18th November
If, when discussing the Ukes performances, David Bowie could say “Unabashed genrecrashing antics. Nothing is spoof proof”, Brian Eno could say “The Best of British” and Michael Palin comment “Among the great entertainers” it would be fair to say this innovative creation of George Hinchliffe and Kitty Lux are well worth a night out!
Armed with endless Ukuleles and more pop culture songs than you can shake a stick at, this no strings attached concert pushes the boundaries of just what you can expect to hear from these
magnificent instruments. They may be the smaller guitars in the string family, but united by the vast skills of George Hinchliffe’s orchestra, this talented troupe proves that size doesn’t matter!
The world’s very first Ukulele Orchestra is not just about ukuleles, it is about entertainment, joy, fun, strum and artistry. These dexterous performers have played alongside iconic artists such as Robbie Williams, Madness, Clean Bandit, Cat Stevens and The Ministry of Sound, to name just a few.
I saw 'The Ukes' perform in Worthing before the pandemic. It was the first time I’d seen them live. I was aware of them, having seen a few YouTube reels, but seeing them in the flesh was a whole new experience. They definitely don’t take themselves too seriously, yet turn out a fun-filled, light-hearted, sort of anarchic yet incredibly professional performance.
Imagine your favourite music transformed by a symphony of ukuleles. Suddenly Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, Ennio Morricone’s the Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Beethoven’s Ode to Joy or the Rolling Stones’ (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction – among many others – take on a whole new form; these remarkable renditions leave audiences smiling through the entire evening and very probably for a good amount of time afterwards.
If you haven’t experienced them yet, now’s the time!
Visit www.dlwp.com or www.coastalevents.co.uk for further information and to book tickets.
Susannah Monk of Psychedelic Hearts Club is reborn!
When is too old? And for what? I got my psychotherapy degree in my forties, shortly after meeting my partner in crime on an internet date, who persuaded me to join a band in my fifties!
I hadn’t touched a keyboard or flute for decades and hadn’t sung in public since school. And yet here I am, with the encouragement and support of my ‘late in life’ partner, doing gigs and having fun. Perhaps some of us have to grow up fast in our early life and then have more space in ourselves for learning and having ‘lols’ when we’re older? I feel like a rebel, but with a clue. Reverting to a teenager, but with wrinkles and a wry smile. Starting wasn’t easy though, or much fun, because of a fierce inner critic. I loved rehearsing but was terrified of
performing. But gradually I’ve become bolder and excited to perform new songs – a great foil to my day job!
So upon reflection, I would suggest we are never too old to take risks, learn new things, fall in love and make the most of still being alive and fit enough to drag heavy gear in and out of gigs! I have no intention of becoming an invisible ‘oldie’ but a wild thing that makes my heart sing… ©Susannah Monk 2023 http://psychedelicheartsclub.com/
One of the world’s most prolific fiddle groups, Blazin’ Fiddles formed for a one-off tour of the Scottish Highlands in 1999 and are still raising roofs far and wide, now in their 25th year.
Multiple winners of Scotland’s Folk Band of the Year – most recently in 2019 – the six-piece have long been one of country’s foremost and most recognisable folk groups, touring far beyond their deep northern roots.
Encompassing a rare and virtuosic selection of the fiddle’s diverse Highland and island voices, with ensemble and solo-led sets both backed by powerhouse guitar and piano, the Blazers pack all the power, passion and sensitivity of Scotland’s traditional music into a single show.
The four-fiddle frontline of Inverness’ Bruce MacGregor, Shetlander Jenna Reid, Nairn’s Rua Macmillan, and Orkney’s Kristan Harvey ignites atop second-to-none accompaniment from Anna Massie and Angus Lyon. Whatever the hall – whether of the Highland village or Royal Albert variety – they’ll turn it into the liveliest and warmest of hootenannies. https://ropetacklecentre.co.uk/events/blazin-fiddles/ is your destination for all details.
The year is beginning its slow march to winter, and following on from a myriad of summer festivals in our 10th anniversary issue, here are a few local festivals braving the cooler weather to keep you enthralled throughout the autumn.
The wonderful SHIPLEY ARTS FESTIVAL 2023 draws to a close
La Traviata: 11th October 6:30 to10:00 pm
Bernardi Music Group with special guests from Instant Opera presents a semi-staged concert performance of Verdi’s romantic masterpiece 'La Traviata' in an intimate chamber performance in the serene setting of Leonardslee House, starring Indian tenor Anando Mukerjee as Alfredo, conducted by the distinguished international conductor Andrea Ferrari with Bernardi Music Group Quintet.
La Traviata is a tragic tale about Parisian courtesan, Violetta, who attempts to leave the life she knows
behind to try and finally find true love. When she meets romantic Alfredo (Mukerjee) the hypocrisy of upper-class society threatens their love and someone has to pay the ultimate price.
Visit https://bernardimusicgroup.com for more information and to book tickets.
Filling the city with music this autumn
Fans of early music (music written before about 1800) are in for a treat this autumn, with Brighton Early Music Festival filling the city with the music
of the past in twenty-one events taking place between mid-September and 28th October.
Between them the events offer 800 years of music, from 14th century madrigals right through to collaborations with contemporary jazz. In between there are free performances of choral music by William Byrd in his 400th anniversary year, several concerts featuring music by female composers of the past, and grand choral and orchestral music by baroque giants Bach and Buxtehude.
After several weeks of pre-festival events including workshops, family concerts and a community ceilidh, the main Festival kicks off on Friday 13th October with Secret Byrd, a new immersive performance by The Gesualdo Six and Fretwork for which tickets are booking fast.
The Festival offers three concerts exploring music by female composers or highlighting female voices – 'The Excellence of Women', newly discovered madrigals by Maddalena Casulana performed by Fieri Consort on 14th October; 'Battle Cry: She Speaks' on 21st October with mezzo soprano Helen Charlston; and 'Mother, Sister, Daughter' exploring music and stories of women across the ages on 22nd October. For audiences travelling into Brighton from further afield, there are daytime events on offer on Saturday 14th October and Saturday 21st October.
Check out the full programme details and book tickets from £5 at www.bremf.org.uk.
Forest Row – 28th and 29th October
TheKP Music Festival in Forest Row is now in its fifth year and it has become a highlight of the musical calendar in Sussex. During the last weekend of October, superb musicians of international standing meet in this vibrant village to perform the much loved repertoire of the world's great classical composers.
World renowned harpsichordist, Steven Devine will open the festival with a mid-morning recital of music by JS Bach and friends.
Saturday afternoon will see the London Mozart Players return to the festival with an exquisite programme of music ranging from Mozart to Bartok. The group will be joined by our Festival Youth Orchestra in a brilliant performance of Jeff Moore's The Gypsy's Violin. At 7.30pm, the fabulous 4 Cellos of the Philharmonia will treat us to an evening of glorious romantic favourites in a virtuosic display of this beautiful instrument.
On Sunday afternoon, distinguished actor Tama Matheson will bring the character of JS Bach to life in an unforgettable performance of music and drama. The wonderful mezzo soprano Martha Jones and a Trio of violin, cello and harpsichord will perform a selection of Bach's timeless music.
All details can be found on www.kpmusicfestival.org.
25th October to 5th November
Chapter
thirteen… Unlucky for some maybe, but this Autumn’s 13th edition of the Petworth Festival Literary Week promises by some measure to be the most varied and exciting to date. As Artistic Director Stewart Collins says in his introduction to the 2023 line up “we’re thrilled to announce a host of authors that really need little introduction: so many of them are household names” .
As always, the festival programme trawls wide and deep across different areas of interest, both fiction and non-fiction.
Memoire: Michael Ball, singer and Radio 2 host; Sheila Hancock, actress; Justin Webb, journalist and Radio 4’s Today presenter. The Environment: Isabella Tree, ‘Rewilding’ guru; Jake Fiennes, the ‘land healer’. Foreign Affairs: Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s International Editor; Martin Sixsmith, Russia expert; Con Coughlin, The Daily Telegraph journalist discusses Syria’s President Assad. Space: Tim Peake, the British astronaut on those who have dared to enter space; Maggie Aderin-Pocock, The Sky at Night presenter tells us how to star gaze. Politics: Andrea Leadsom, the former Conservative front bencher; Malcolm Rifkind, the Tory grandee discusses ‘power and pragmatism’; Ferdinand Mount, on history’s
‘great’ leaders. Food: Henry Dimbleby, the restaurateur and food expert discusses the food industry; Sarah Raven, the famous gardener’s ‘year full of vegetables’. History: Peter Frankopan, the heavyweight historian looks at the impact of the environment on history; Simon Heffer, on the changing face of Britain between the wars; Robert Hardman, the royal biographer on ‘Queen of our Times’ and the forthcoming ‘King Charles III’; Daniel Finkelstein, the former Times Editor looks at his family’s tortuous history.
Fiction: James Naughtie, the acclaimed broadcaster talks us through ‘The Spy Across the Water’; Tom Hindle, this year’s book group event with the author features ‘The Murder Game’; Emma Hughes/Sophia Money-Coutts/Laura Kay, three authors celebrate ‘The Rom Com’. General Interest: Anna Kent, ‘The Frontline Midwife’; Selina Mills, a fascinating debate about the nature of blindness; Alan Titchmarsh, the ‘national treasure’ gardener talks about Chatsworth House; Wendy Joseph, former Old Bailey murder judge. The Arts: Gregory Doran, former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company; Leanne Benjamin, former Principal Ballerina with the Royal Ballet; Peter Beckingham, 200 years of great art across Sussex.
Plus a graphology workshop and one to one sessions; short films celebrating the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio; children’s events headlined by children’s laureate Joseph Coehlo; and all without mentioning best-selling novelists Philippa Gregory and Julian Barnes, the former talking about Normal Women, and the latter sharing the stage with world renowned classical pianist Angela Hewitt in the festival’s opening, a words and music event at St Mary’s Church Petworth.
“From all of the above,” says Stewart, “I hope our audience will see that we have done everything in our power to bring to Petworth an extraordinary line-up of world class speakers, all of whom they can see on their doorsteps and in the most intimate of settings.”
Further details at www.petworthfestival.org.uk.
Ryde, Isle of Wight 24th to 29th October
Harp on Wight International celebrate their tenth annual festival with a spectacular line-up of harpists who will be both performing and teaching workshops at Ryde Methodist Church at the end of October. The festival has been a success for nine years due to the quality of the harpists, the intriguing workshops not to mention the daytime exhibition of harps and harp accessories, and it will be no different this year!
One of the highlights of the festival will be a rare UK appearance from Remy Van Kesteren from The Netherlands – one of the most exciting and inventive harpists in the world today.
Two of Scotland's most respected harpists Corrina Hewat and Mary Macmaster will be at the festival. They were both former members of the highlyregarded harp/voice trio Shine. They will be giving a duo concert and also teaching separate workshops. It is fitting that Mary is returning to the festival as she played an important part in the first Harp on Wight in 2014.
Senegalese kora player Kadially Kouyate will be performing in the opening concert on the evening of October 24th and a beautiful eclectic collection of music will be performed by the harp ensemble formed from students of this year’s Harp on Wight International Festival conducted by Fran Barsby on the 27th.
And the closing concert on the 29th will be performed by Lily Neill. Expect original compositions alongside a dynamic array of melodies from ragtime and tangos to Eastern
European and Nordic tunes, jigs and reels and Renaissance classics.
To book tickets or for further information please visit www.harponwight.co.uk
subscribe to ingénu/e magazine & never miss a copy
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Brighton Early Music Festival returns with events including Secret Byrd, an immersive performance by The Gesualdo Six & Fretwork; medieval gems with La Fonte Musica from Italy; family events and workshops. See full details and book tickets at bremf.org.uk
by Patricia M Osborne
It is 1895 and a century-old oath has been called in. Seventeen-year-old Francoise Dubois has to leave her homeland and sail to England and marry her distant cousin, to satisfy a contract drawn up by two brothers a hundred years previously.
As Francoise makes the trip from France accompanied by her devoted elder brother Andre, we travel ahead and meet the household she is destined to join, including Tilly, the maid who will become Francoise's closest friend and confidante.
Although understandably anxious about her future, Francoise confronts the challenge with as much courage as she can muster. When she meets her intended, Charles Dubois, a handsome baronet with sparkling eyes, a ray of hope quieted her nerves. Maybe she could love him and bear the child the Oath called for, maybe she could be happy after all. But when he doesn't visit her bedchamber on their wedding night she is left with doubts and uncertainties, her new-found confidence
by Ruth D'Alessandro
When 21-year-old Gwendoline Crockford signed up to join the police in 1951 she had little idea of what she was getting herself into.
Whether carrying a human skeleton out of the woods, finding a missing child, taking charge at a traffic accident, investigating thefts or chasing an escaped zebra, every day brought fresh adventures.
In the early 1950s, the Berkshire Constabulary finally opened its ranks to more women and WPC Crockford was one of those early pioneers. Galvanised by the terrifying threat of Hitler's invasion at the start of the war, young Gwen resolved to do something effective in her life, determined never to feel so powerless again. The opportunity arose some years later when, as a young woman, fed up with being shouted at by the junior partner of the law firm where she worked, she decided to take a leap and join the police force. After successfully navigating the rigorous training course Gwen embarked on a career that would both test her and shape her. In the days when police constables trod their beat alone, before the advent of mobile phones, a police officer had to be on the alert and ready to deal with any eventuality, however mundane, dangerous or bizarre. She became adept at handling
crushed. Does he not love her? Is he not true to her, despite the vows he has just made?
Tilly, meanwhile, is having issues of her own. The caddish Archie won't leave her alone. Young and naive, she is vulnerable and his intentions are not honourable.
Then a series of tragic events strengthens the growing bond between mistress and maid, a bond that will prove vital to the survival of these two young women as they find their independence.
This coming of age historical fiction set at the cusp of the 20th century is replete with details of the period, from lavish furnishings to exquisite gowns, yet it also reflects the societal and cultural shifts of the times as traditional sensibilities give way to freer attitudes. Think Downton Abbey meets Thelma and Louise (minus tragic ending) and you will get the idea.
A great story, full of ups and downs, heartbreak and happiness, The Oath is available from www.whitewingsbooks.com.
juvenile delinquents, conquered her fear during a rural night patrol and got through her first post mortem with aplomb – unlike her hapless male counterpart. She witnessed the advent of teddy boys, was shocked at their mindless civic disruption but cheered by their brush with the redoubtable Wokingham WI! She unravelled a dark secret at the heart of an impoverished family, encountered the brutal reality of child abuse and risked her life to catch a villain.
Writing with an honest, appealing nostalgia author Ruth D'Alessandro draws on real life experiences. She grew up in a police family, her mother, the eponymous Gwen Crockford, was a police constable in the early '50s, a time when women PCs were the exception rather than the rule. 'Calling WPC Crockford' is her mother's story, painstakingly reconstructed from stories told over the years backed up by her own research. Introduced with an author's foreword that sets the scene, this story of a bright, determined woman navigating a man's world, serving as many people as she can, is frank yet charming, both illuminating and engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed it, would heartily recommend it and look forward to reading the sequel.
'Calling WPC Crockford' is available from East Grinstead Bookshop, Waterstones and Amazon.
by Judy Upton
When two cats are stolen from the exclusive Felinicity Cat Hotel & Spa, who better to call in but pet detective Sophie Gorrage and her trusty sniffer dog Brownlow.
Stravinsky, the Russan Blue was the beloved feline companion of ballet dancer Valentin Fischer, while McCracken, the Scottish Fold, was the cherished apple of Cordelia Fife's eye, a brisk rather intimidating art collector.
Apart from the fact they were both relatively valuable (Felinicity was not an hotel for your run-of-the-mill moggy), there was no obvious connection between the two cats. Why, then, with a hotel full of high value cats, were these two unfortunate felines targeted and, more to the point, where were they now?
Sophie and Brownlow arrived on the scene with little to go on. The trail, followed enthusiastically by Brownlow, ended in the car park and the CCTV yielded little more. Though Felinicity was custom built to provide their feline guests the ultimate lap of luxury, its 'cats only' doors were grudgingly opened to our eponymous canine detective and his human colleague for the duration of the investigation, and to provide a deterrent for any further theft attempts from the facility, the owner being anxious about its reputation.
by Patricia M Osborne
A collection of nature poetry inspired by myth, folklore and legend.
This latest collection of poetry by author Patricia M Osborne, published by Hedgehog Press, is a mystical journey into the origins of plants and flowers that we might see every day or pass by without a second glance, but that yet hold secrets beyond our everyday existence; a retelling of once familiar but now forgotten tales and legends.
It is both a dark lens look and joyous celebration of the myth and folklore woven into the very fabric of our culture. I was delighted by 'Good Luck Charm' and 'Nanabozho's Rainbow', moved by 'White Lily' and 'Gift from the Gods', chilled by 'Linden Oak' and enchanted by 'Nightingale Guardian' and 'Lucerna'. I was fascinated by the two Sequences – 'The Tree of Knowledge' and 'Tree of Life' – highly condensed liqueur-like mini tales.
Writer and academic Mary Ford Neal says it best:
Having ruled out personal motivation for the abduction of Stravinsky – Valentin was not rich so a ransom was out of the equation – Sophie delved deeper. So when she discovered that a set of highly valuable jewellery hired for the BAFTAs had recently been stolen from Valentin's flat her suspicions were aroused. But if these incidents were in fact connected, Sophie and Brownlow would be dealing with more than a simple cat-napping and the people involved were a different class of criminal.
The trail led the detecting duo unexpectedly to Paris, where things started falling into place. But not before Sophie found herself in greater danger than she had anticipated. Was she out of her depth or could she resolve the case and reunite both unfortunate cats with their frantic owners?
Set mainly in Sussex and written in Judy Upton's appealing style, evocative yet down to earth with understated humour, Brownlow Checks In scoots along at a comfortable pace, keeping the reader eager to find out what happens next, occasionally on proper tenterhooks, always engaged with the characters and plot. I enjoyed it hugely and would happily recommend it to anyone, especially to dog, cat or crime lovers!
Available from Waterstones and Amazon. For more books by Judy Upton visit www.judyupton.co.uk
“Spirit Mother is a sensory voyage of discovery and delight through a rich landscape of Greek, Celtic, and Native American mythologies. The poems are by turns delicate and earthy, juxtaposing the sensual and sublime with the sharp and shocking to remarkable effect. The ancient feels at once eternal ('Galanthus') and starkly contemporary ('Lavender'), and the senses are fully engaged by a heady palette of shades, scents, sounds and sensations. Patricia M Osborne has created a collection to be treasured – each poem imprints itself on the reader, and many will never leave.”
I was captivated and will certainly revisit this collection. And perhaps not surprisingly I also found myself inspired to study the Classics as well as other cultural myth and legend, so greatly have these shaped our world and inspired countless generations of artists and writers.
Spirit Mother, Experience the Myth is available from www.hedgehogpress.co.uk and for more about the author visit www.whitewingsbooks.com
There are so many ideas for experiencing and enjoying the arts in ingénu/e. Theatre. Music. Creative Writing. Art. Opportunities galore!
When I was little, listening to the radio was an important part of every day: classical music in the background, radio plays, or hearing the 7 o’clock news on the ABC. We didn’t have a television. I grew up next to the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a wonderful world of sunshine and words. My father could talk people into buying! Back then he was selling those elegant old Royal typewriters, and filing systems, and office equipment, and helping people organise any business, while my mother wrote narrative poetry, children’s stories and stage plays. We went to the theatre all the time – the Borovansky ballet as the Australian ballet was called then, the Royal Ballet when it came out on tour, opera whenever the Italian Opera companies came to Australia, and stage plays and films. And not just to one performance! We would see at least three performances of each ballet each season. Every cast! And the Opera – just the same! I remember we used to beg my mother that we might stay home instead of being out every night! But I learned so much. The stories that inspired the operas and ballets were part of my young life.
It was intriguing how much time my mother spent on her writing too. I remember when she won first prize in a national play writing competition, how she took me up with her to the stage to collect the award –from Noel Coward! And how he patted me on the head!
If by chance we stayed in because my father had an important customer coming to dinner, my sisters and I would put on a performance of dancing and singing before we went to bed. We were learning how to be on stage as well seeing performances in theatres! It certainly paid off! My eldest sister became a copywriter for a big advertising firm in Sydney, and later when we came to England, she worked at the Daily Mail. My middle sister won a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School, became a dancer in the Royal Opera Ballet, married an actor, then became a writer. And me? I started out as a dancer, then became the first woman Front of House Manager at Rank’s Odeon Leicester Square, written about in my recent memoir 'The Lights of Leicester Square'.
Then I became a film maker. One of my fourteen travel films,
Carisbrook Castle, was shown on Sky TV. Now I write novels, staged plays, and children’s stories. My family loves the arts. My daughter is a graphic designer, and illustrates books with wonderful photographs, and my lovely grand-daughter can play the flute, has written and illustrated three books for me, can cook and decorate beautiful cakes, and loves helping me make ‘props’ for the films I do. And reading ingénu/e my love of the arts continues!!
Christmas is coming. My character Harry in The Kid on Slapton Beach would be 92 years old! He’d be remembering Christmas 1943.
He was just twelve when 3000 people were forced to leave their homes on the Devon coast with no explanation. There were American GIs everywhere. Was an invasion imminent? Farmers sold their animals and dug up their crops. People packed up their belongings and left their homes. No one knew there would be secret rehearsals for the D-Day landings on Slapton Sands.
The Kid on Slapton Beach is written around the events of that Christmas evacuation eighty years ago. Harry’s treasured possession, the one photo of his father, is left behind. He goes back for it, and he will be on that beach. Wars have a great many secrets and Exercise Tiger was one of the darkest. Michelle Magorian, author of Goodnight Mister Tom says: “Superb on so many levels… I couldn’t put it down. I can see the landscape, feel its texture, smell it. And I can see twelve-year-old Harry, and all those villagers and their struggles. I found myself close to tears when I read it and smiling too. A wonderful book!”
The Kid on Slapton Beach – order online or at your favourite bookshop. –Felicity Fair Thompson www.wightdiamondpress.com
American GIs arrive in Devon, image courtesy of Dartmouth Museum
Celebrating work by established, emerging and neglected writers over the last four decades. Subscribe for the next two years for only £15.00. www.frogmorepress.co.uk
‘Without literary magazines, the vitality of the world of contemporary letters is very gravely reduced. If our society cannot provide for such a magazine a circulation large enough to justify its existence – and a subscription, it must be remembered, is not merely an act of financial support but a declaration of moral support – then the outlook for our civilization is all the more sombre.’
Thus wrote T S Eliot himself in 1954, in volume 1 number 1 of The London Magazine, and what was true seventy years ago surely remains true today. It is perhaps a sobering thought, though, that Eliot’s words were written in closer temporal proximity to the publication of the first issue of The Frogmore Papers (in 1983) than that event stands to today. Much as we wonder that the release of Sergeant Pepper (1967) stands closer in time to the end of the first world war (1918) than to now…
frogmore press.indd 1
04/07/2023 18:21
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.
The Secret Rehearsals for D-Day...
The Secret Rehearsals for D-Day...
The Secret Rehearsals for D-Day...
“A wonderful book...”
Historically, the ‘little magazines’ have provided early opportunities for any number of writers –mostly poets – who have gone on to establish their reputations with highly regarded collections published by the likes of Bloodaxe, Carcanet, Chatto & Windus and Faber. The Frogmore Papers, which began life as the littlest of little magazines, have featured early work by Jonathan Edwards, Sophie Hannah, Tobias Hill, Kim Moore, Clare Pollard, Robert Seatter, Catherine Smith, Susan Wicks and countless others, and similar claims can be made by publications such as Acumen (founded in 1984), The Rialto (also 1984) and Stand (1952!). Yet little magazines continue to struggle for survival, typically receiving a much greater volume of submissions than subscriptions. It’s tempting to conclude that writing – especially writing poetry – is altogether more popular than reading. Which brings us back to Eliot and his call for individuals with an interest in literature to put their money where their keyboards are and take out a subscription to a literary magazine – or, preferably, several!
“A wonderful book...”
Michelle Magorian
Michelle Magorian
‘Goodnight Mr Tom’
“A wonderful book...”
‘Goodnight Mr Tom’
Michelle Magorian
“A jewel!...” Actress June BrownDot in EastEnders
“A jewel!...” Actress June BrownDot in EastEnders
‘Goodnight Mr Tom’
At your local book store now Paperback: £8.99
“A jewel!...” Actress June BrownDot in EastEnders
At your local book store now Paperback: £8.99
ISBN 978-0-9535123-2-4 www.wightdiamondpress.com
At your local book store now Paperback: £8.99
ISBN 978-0-9535123-2-4 www.wightdiamondpress.com
ISBN 978-0-9535123-2-4
www.wightdiamondpress.com
The publishing of poetry is a famously uncommercial activity (witness the decision by Oxford University Press to cancel its poetry list back in 1998, described at the time by the list’s editor Jacqueline Simms as ‘an act of vandalism’), but one that is arguably more important than ever in the challenging times in which we find ourselves. The challenge for editors and publishers, perhaps, is how to persuade aspiring poets to read with as much commitment as they write, with a view to ensuring that good writing will continue to find a suitable home, however unknown its author.
–Jeremy Page, Frogmore Press
Traditionally published local author Elizabeth Bailey, creator of the popular Lady Fan Mystery series and a raft of historical mystery and romance and edgy and paranormal romance novels, also embraced independent publishing. We quiz her about this and all things writerly as she looks forward to launching her latest book.
Please tell us about your forthcoming novel, The Hanging Cheat.
This is the tenth book in my Lady Fan Mystery series. My sleuth is a woman, but she is ably backed by her husband, Lord Francis Fanshawe. In this adventure, Ottilia has returned to her brother's home to commiserate with him and her nephews on the death of her sister-in-law. Inevitably, she becomes embroiled in the mystery of a local death. Was it suicide? Or did someone murder the victim and make it appear so?
With a successful career as a traditionally published author, what prompted you to move into independent publishing?
I am in fact what is known as a hybrid author, which means I have a foot in both camps. I've been around for a long time, way before the advent of e-books. It happened that I got my rights back on some of my Mills & Boon historical romances, so I chose to use Amazon's new digital platform which was proving successful within its first couple of years. Frankly, I missed the heyday! It wasn't the money-spinner I had expected, but I still use it and it's been a useful adjunct to my traditional titles.
Traditional publishing versus independent publishing –what are the pros and cons?
Personally, I am shifting off indie publishing as the years take their toll. The biggest con is the amount of work involved, which takes one away from actual writing. Copy-editing, proofing, cover design, uploading, all takes time, and then no book sells unless you tell people about it. You can easily end up spending 80% of your time on production and promotion. I've cut back severely in order to concentrate on writing itself.
The main pro is the ability to control everything yourself, plus the option to indie publish if you fail to secure a traditional contract. Or if you want to republish backlist titles. These days though, publishers (especially independents) tend to acquire backlist titles because they can exploit them via e-books and this is also to the author's benefit.
I would also suggest that authors going the indie route pay a reputable editor to work with them to ensure the book is the best it can be. Everyone needs an editor! Readers are unforgiving. They won't pick up
your second book if the first one doesn't hold them on the page. Competition for attention is fierce and there are loads of books out there, eager for readers.
Many artists can trace their creativity back to childhood. Is that true for you and, if so, do you remember the first story you wrote?
Vividly! The historical romance and mystery gene were there from the off. My early fairytale involved the wannabe prince in hopes of winning the princess having to rid the kingdom of a plague of spiders covering the lake. My second foray into fiction was an epic poem about the murder of a mermaid. I can't remember a time when I didn't either write stories down or lie around writing them in my head. Our father was a great reader and started us all off with classic literature readings at bedtime, not to mention made-up stories too. We are a family of creatives and several of us have ended up as either hobby or professional scribblers.
As creatives we tend to be influenced by others' styles, who are your influences?
My main influence was Georgette Heyer. I fell in love with her novels from the age of eleven and I've read and re-read them over the years. When I began writing in earnest, historical romance was an obvious choice for me. However, I also cherish a love of Shakespeare from my theatre days and I think some of my darker themes originate there. Also the love of rhythm and the interior life of characters – what makes people tick. I can't claim to have mastered the technique of conveying as much as I would wish to, but one gets better at it the more one writes.
Do you have a set routine when you're working? What inspires you?
I used to in my earlier writing years. These days I just have to write when I can and get on with it, if I can. The inevitable effects of aging do kick in and the
aphorism about the spirit being willing but the flesh weak is probably truer now than it has ever been.
Inspiration is a funny thing, quite elusive often. The times when an idea hits and one's imagination soars are terrific. Other times an idea hits and the imagination remains stagnant for a while. Experience does count though. I know it will come if I just start.
I don't plan very much. I need a murder, obviously. I need a location, a bunch of potential suspects and some peripheral characters for background.
Once I have all that, I just start. I never know who committed the murder because I don't know who the suspects are until my sleuth starts interviewing them. Nor do I know what they are going to say! It's as much a mystery to this author as it is to the reader – at least during the writing. At some point, it becomes clear because the story develops its own momentum and provides me with enough clues to be able to figure it all out. There's an Inner Writer who knows everything, but on the surface, I don't have the foggiest idea what's going to happen.
The majority of your novels are set at the end of the 18th century, what draws you to that time period?
I've always had a yen for the 18th century. Hard to say why, unless you accept reincarnation. Lives lived before might account for the resonance of particular
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"My own love of reading has never abated and if I can give a tithe of the pleasure to others as I have received myself, it's worth all the effort."
periods. I do accept the concept, but I realise it's a personal belief. A dual time novel I self-published (Fly the Wild Echoes) goes some way to explaining my feel for that particular period.
In my early unpublished novels, I wrote a few set mid-century, but I found I had the most affinity for the latter end. Although my novels are classed as Regencies, in fact I have written very few set in the actual Regency, which was quite short. Publishers call it the Long Regency, which goes from the French revolution through to Victoria. Anything within that time period is acceptably Regency, although we also use Georgian (a much longer period associated with George III, who was in fact alive during the Regency).
It's a boon to have the label because my mysteries always have an element of romance and that means that as well as mystery lovers, those hungry Regency readers will lap them up.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Believe in yourself. Which is as much as to say, trust your Inner Writer. Also trust your readers. You don't need to explain everything. Readers are canny. They like to second-guess you and they pick up whole concepts from brief clues. You don't have to describe everything either. The reader throws up an image in their heads from a mere suggestion. Let them participate in creating the story too. They will do it anyway!
Current projects and future plans, what can you tell us?
I am toying with the germ of an idea for my next Lady Fan story. I need to let it simmer awhile, but I hope to get going on it sooner rather than later. My publishers are wonderfully supportive and give me a free hand. They are happy to take backlist titles, which is great for me as it frees me from the grind of getting them online myself.
I would love to say I am going to write up a storm and produce all the stories that pop around in my head, but alas, most of them are destined to remain unwritten. I do knock out the odd short story from time to time, particularly when I want to give a gift to my newsletter subscribers. In the main though, I am concentrating on keeping Lady Fan occupied for as long as I can!
Visit www.elizabethbailey.co.uk for more infomation about Elizabeth and her books. Look out for a review of The Hanging Cheat in a future issue of ingénu/e, and to purchase a copy for yourself or as a gift please go to https://getbook.at/TheHangingCheat
Roundel is a Tonbridge-based poetry group. We meet twice a month – on a Wednesday morning and a Saturday afternoon – to write, share and develop our work in a supportive atmosphere.
Apart from our workshops, we run a poetry breakfast in Tonbridge with a monthly theme, aimed at those who love to read, rather than write, poetry.
Since the group was formed in 2012 we have worked collaboratively with local artists finding inspiration from each others’ work and have produced two publications. We have also published two anthologies of our own poetry, the most recent in 2022 celebrating ten successful years.
All our groups welcome newcomers. For further details, please contact roundeltonbridge@gmail.com.
The following poems are by poets from the Roundel poetry group.
Today I threw away the oven gloves you gave me – harder than it sounds, to throw away one of your last gifts, with all the cherished memories I have of you and how we met.
It was the Christmas we moved into our old house, builders still working on the roof. No heating, ancient kitchen, and children worried Santa wouldn’t find them.
We made paper chains, hung them from damp walls, bought a bedraggled tree – the last in town, weighed it down with Woolworth baubles, twisted tinsel round the scaffolding.
As damp December fog fell on evening darkness, we were startled by a knock at the door. It bounced along naked floors, echoed off empty walls. And there you were, a smiling welcome neighbour – with a cake!
So many Christmasses since then, some fun, some not, so many melded together in a blur, so many forgotten. But not that one. You were our first friend in a strange town. Maybe I’ll retrieve the oven gloves tomorrow!
–Margaret Beston
I will find the finest eco friendly wrapping paper to create a masterpiece of disguise for the once used box.
Next, I will walk through woods and gardens choosing nature’s gifts to press between the pages of your favourite book.
Then, wait a while before I retrieve the once creamy silk rose petals and sprigs of rosemary and thyme.
Their colour is faded now yet their scent remains a subtle presence as I, with care, fix them to the lid.
Once the outside satisfys my eye I turn my thoughts to what should be inside.
I find among my granny’s sewing box a piece of green shot silk, enough to line my Aladdin’s cave of love.
My fingers caress the material as my needle slips in and out. I work with infinite care until the box is ready.
But there’s one last task before my gift’s complete.
As the dying rays of the spring sun turn to shadows I sit, pastels in hand, our dogs resting at my feet.
I draw a snapshot of the garden you lovingly created, brought alive for flowers, birds and the two of us.
I write the message. Place it in the box. My Gift complete.
–Jinny McDermott
N.B. All poems shown are subject to copyright
Every winter I promise myself next year I’ll be out there, become the summer, breathing sun-cream, sweet peas dazed by the fervour of full sunlight, tickled by grasses in bloom.
Drop this life of views from fast train windows, flashes of things I yearn to explore, but they’ve gone past.
Today I picked the last roar of roses, took them inside, colour and scent seeping, imperfect, blemished, fading: all living louder than we did before.
–Jacquie Wyatt
First published in Abegail Morley’s Poetry Shed.
Everyone loves Christmas –season of good will, partying, not staying home huddled under a duvet. Forget about the cash – you have to buy generous presents, not worry, eat too many mince pies, get drunk, have fun, have a relaxing time. This is what you love to do –just once a year.
Just once a year, this is what you’d love to do: have a relaxing time, get drunk, have fun, eat too many mince pies, buy generous presents, not worry about the cash. But you have to stay home huddled under a duvet. Forget ‘season of good will’, partying. Not everyone loves Christmas.
–Margaret Beston
Acorns crack, squeak under feet, misty auroras crown tall trees, sunlight glances by weeping leaves in the pristine chill of a still Autumn morning,
October is fleet, fugitive as fungi, greying skies, occasionally fuliginous, with a sunset surprise of reds, yellows, and oranges.
Colours bleed and then fade away, but still, so much is beginning: new faces enter old buildings, some are absorbing new cities, old songs are finding new reasons, sculptors are freeing new angels, new scripts have yet to be scripted, new thought brought to oak tables.
–Danny Rivers
Bonfire night. The fifth of November. Not the Saturday before or the Friday after. The fifth.
That’s bonfire night. Everyone’s here with their favourite fireworks.
Ted likes rockets – he’s an Elton fan. Gina’s parents are Italian so she brings roman candles. Then dear Fan – she brings sparklers because she thinks they’re fairy wands. And John and his golden rain –least said, soonest mended there, I think.
Fire’s going. Potatoes in the ashes. Hester’s brought toffee apples – her father’s a dentist. Pity Kate’s not coming. She always brings a guy.
Someone says there’s a funny old bloke by the bonfire, seems to think it’s fancy dress. Big hat, groovy boots. Says he’s got a barrel of really good fireworks…
If, anyone’s interested?
–Avis Eaton
re-opens its doors with its ever popular Silver Jewellery Making Workshops!
Debbie Smith who runs the classes says, “the half-day workshops are a great introduction to jewellery making as no previous experience is required, and I’ve designed all the silver projects to be achievable in a morning, so you will always go home with a finished piece!”
"My most popular course is The Stacking Ring Workshop where up to four people spend the morning making three silver stacking rings in the relaxed environment of the workshop.
Using traditional silversmithing techniques, you will learn how to form, solder, hammer and finish three silver rings, to create individual rings that you 'stack' together, hence the name!"
Debbie also runs a selection of other half-day workshops for beginners, introducing them to the craft of jewellery making. These include how to make silver earring, pendants, and bangles. Each workshop allows you to build on your skills. After completing the beginners' workshops, Debbie offers a six-week intermediate course where she encourages you to come up with your own ideas and designs and create your own silver pieces with the skills you have already learnt. With her help and knowledge, she guides you and teaches more advanced silversmithing techniques, for example stone setting, riveting, pressing and forging.
The cost of each half-day workshop is £50 and is bookable via the website. Workshops are available on either Tuesday, Thursday or Friday mornings, 10am to 1pm and held in Debbie's studio in Lindfield, Sussex. All materials are provided and workshops are limited to a maximum of four people.
Suitable for adults (and teens if accompanied by a paying adult).
For all the details about Debbie's workshops visit www.thejewellery-workshop.co.uk and follow on Instagram @thejewellery.workshop for snippets and highlights.
pictured: silver stacking rings
Taught by inspiring, talented tutors, with a gentle approach to their craft, Curious House is the place to explore your creative skills and, at the same time, relax and unwind.
Founded by Philippa King, inspired by her love of art and disovering the benefits of exploring her own creativity, she hosts a diverse portfolio of courses at The Bell in Ticehurst. This awardwinning pub/hotel offers an inspiringly beautiful classroom and a safe, supportive space where you are free to experiment and flex your creative muscles. Many of the course attendees take advantange of staying in one of the stunning rooms at The Bell for a very special retreat.
Classic art courses include painting with oils, watercolours and acrylics, experimental and life drawing. More craft orientated courses include mixed media and creative stitching, willow weaving, lino printing, stringing beads and the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi.
Modern calligraphy, iPhone photography and lampshade painting are amongst the most popular and at Christmas time, there will be fabulous wreath making. The prices of courses vary depending on the materials required but start at £130 for a day’s tuition, delicious light lunch and refreshments. Half day courses are also available.
Now in its fifth year, Curious House is a great place to make new friends and savour art ‘therapy’ at its best.
“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity” –Dorothy Parker.
Full details at www.curioushousecourses.net
top: Melissa White teaching; below: Lampshade painting
Bourne to Write’s Zoom creative writing workshops offer a learning experience that is fun and friendly without leaving the comfort of your home. Anyone with access to a computer can benefit from expert tuition in creative writing and share their work in a safe space.
Whether you’re interested in writing a memoir, short stories, novels, poetry or screenplays, creative writing tutor Roddy Phillips will help you achieve your aim. With over forty years experience Roddy is passionate about creative writing and the transformative effect it can have.
“Many of our writers are now published, some in this magazine, and the confidence that creates can be so important for a new writer. We also publish our writers' work online every week and on Amazon.”
With two Zoom workshops a week, Wednesday evening and Friday afternoon Roddy finds the format increasingly fruitful.
“The online format has opened up new potential for
the workshops,” said Roddy, “it's given them greater depth, I can share our writers’ work onscreen, whether it's written or recorded, and I can play video and sound clips. When I’m working one-to-one with a writer I can edit or revise their work live, the medium is extremely versatile. And of course we now have writers from across the UK and even the United States who would never have had the chance to join one our workshops.”
Find out more about Bourne to Write’s online creative workshops at www.bournetowrite.co.uk or call Roddy on 07758 367479.
To redeem this gift worth £60 email Roddy on bournetowrite1@gmail.com
This offer is open to non-members only
To redeem this gift worth £60 email Roddy at bournetowrite1@gmail.com
(Please note the offer is open to non-members only)
At our weekly tutor-led Zoom workshops you can learn how to nurture your imagination while making new friends in a creative environment. bournetowrite.co.uk subscribe to ingénu/e magazine & never miss a copy
For just £14.95/year you can have your own copy delivered to your door each quarter. To subscribe just email subscribe@ingenuemagazine.co.uk
More info: www.ingenuemagazine.co.uk
We run ongoing courses in life drawing, figurative and abstract sculpture. Why not join us, or gift a course for that special someone? We are a friendly open studio where all levels of experience are welcome.
Casting service, bisque kiln firing available, studio space for rent.
Visit www.artjunction.uk
Any questions? Contact Marji at: info@artjunction.uk
On entering our studio in Billingshurst, people are often surprised and intrigued to find such a variety of work in progress. There aren't many accessible sculpture studios in the area so we attract creative people of all levels of experience, whether they are practising sculptors or just curious to have a go, all are welcome regardless of experience.
So if you are hankering to try out that 3D idea, or develop your existing practice, or simply need a place to work, we might be able to help. Check our website to view regular weekly and short courses on offer, or get in touch to arrange a visit. We'd love to see you.
Practising professional sculptors, Mark Longworth, Hazel Reeves and Michael Joseph form our team of tutors who pass on their expertise with
generosity. Courses in Figurative, Portrait Sculpture, and Abstract work are all on the schedule.
We also run weekly life drawing sessions with a number of talented and experienced life models. Interested in making multiples of your work? We run mould making and cold casting sessions in resin and jesmonite. Handbuilt clay work can be bisque fired in the kiln.
Why not join us? And if you want to give someone else the experience, gift vouchers can be arranged. For more information contact info@artjunction.uk or ring 01403 786224.
Details of all courses and services can be found at www.artjunction.uk.
top: Break time in a Drawing and Painting Session (painting by R Eifion-Wynne)
left: Abstract Sculpture Session in progress (sculpture by M Joseph)
The Art of Giving –Learn it, Make it, Love it with Made
Crafting has very definitely gone mainstream. From the catwalk to celebrity crafters, the sheer joy of making is generating interest in an ever growing range of crafts.
The pleasure and mindfulness of making is great for our wellbeing. Knitting, crocheting and sewing top the list of the most popular crafts. So whether you are looking to handcraft a gift or give the gift of crafting to someone else then Made and Making is the perfect choice.
With a passion for sharing her creative knowledge Sarah Brangwyn has created this vibrant and welcoming sewing and craft centre in Hassocks, just north of Brighton. She has brought together a dream team of experienced and friendly tutors. Each expert is carefully chosen and brings their own talents, passions and expertise to offer a varied selection of workshops throughout the year. It is a great place to try out a new craft or just improve your skills in a favourite hobby.
The light-filled studio has been designed purely with sewing and craft in mind, and there is all the equipment and space you need to spread out and get crafting with other like minded people. With over forty classes on offer throughout the autumn you’ll find plenty to choose from.
Made and Making also offers gift vouchers so whoever you have in mind, you can give the gift of a workshop, an online course, a kit or a pattern, or even a private session or retreat. So join the crafting revolution! www.madeandmaking.co.uk
above: Sarah Brangwyn, Made and Making owner, with decoupage lights; below: Garden studio sewing session
Painters, poets, weavers, welders, gardeners, glass blowers, calligraphers, conservators… whatever your passion, whatever your level, there is a creative short course for you at West Dean.
With over 600 short courses to choose from, learn from expert tutors in inspirational surroundings, or study in your own time with distance learning.
Traditional crafts
Passing skills on to the next generation with short courses supporting important heritage skills that stand the test of time.
• Hand engraving and carving on metal, Angus McFadyen, 2 to 5 November
• Stained glass for beginners – painting with light, Carole Gray, 2 to 5 November
• Introduction to stone carving, Paula Haughney, 3 to 5 November
• Textile basketry – twining and looping, Mary Crabb, 17 to 19 November
Courses with new tutors
Introducing courses for students to benefit from broadening skills and exploring new subjects.
• Hand stitch and print a linen throw using plant
dyes, Nicola Cliffe, 13 to 16 November
• Contemporary furniture refinishing and upcycling, Oliver Piepieret, 23 to 26 November
• Introduction to hammer forging techniques for jewellery and silversmithing, Stuart Jenkins, 23 to 26 November
• An introduction to printmaking – monoprint, carborundum and drypoint, Gail Mason, 1 to 3 December
See all courses at www.westdean.ac.uk.
top: Drawing in the landscape; below: pottery. Images ©Thom Atkinson
Roz’s art practice has a natural history focus, she participates regularly in local artists’ open houses, charity exhibitions, and exhibits nationally when time allows, including with the Society of Wildlife Artists at the Mall Galleries.
A qualified and very experienced tutor who has been teaching in the Eastbourne area for many years, Roz is now running new studio courses at Polegate Community Centre, in their fantastic warm, light lounge space with great facilities – including a free car park – where she is currently offering Mixed Media and Personal Projects.
She also teaches live Zoom courses which include demos, discussions and relaxed project working, with supportive individual and group feedback within small, friendly groups – this Autumn is Natural History Watercolour Techniques, Landscape Mixed Media, Pastel Portraits and, if space, Wildlife Art in the Spring.
Individual personal or small group project working, mentoring or support sessions are available in Roz’s studio, students’ homes or online, with monthly online live demos soon – please check website or email to enquire. Roz also works with art groups or societies delivering demos, workshops or regular teaching.
New for 2024, Aberdeenshire Painting Courses on a new rewilding site and her popular East Dean Summer Schools will again be available, look out for details. Visit www.roznathanart.com for further details and testimonials; contact roz.nathan@hotmail.com, 07913 080061, or follow on Facebook / Instagram.
Local artists of all genres need more exposure and promotion of their work. Who would deny them that? Bureaucrats or the like?
We have one or two volunteers who help distribute ingénu/e magazine if we cannot get to an area easily, or who just like to help. Recently one of these was taken ill and a regular ingénue/e collaborator stepped up to the plate. On her rounds she was shocked to find a very well-known arts centre would not have the magazine there for people to pick up, nor would they have anything at all that was promoting local creativity. They would only display material that promoted the arts centre itself. Methinks this is diametrically opposed to the purpose of a local arts centre, but that’s just my opinion. Or is it? Answers on a postcard please.
While the vast majority of our outlets are very pleased to have the magazine and in many cases look forward to seeing it arrive, on our distribution rounds during the last ten years we have run into certain places not taking the magazine (I must stress it’s just a very small number of places) so we have arrived at a conclusion about this phenomenon. Very occasionally it’s due to corporate policy handed down, often to the disagreement of the staff, but otherwise and in the majority of cases, it’s down to a particular person who, although apparently working in or with the arts, is in fact literally a philistine. Little Hitler, killjoy, wet blanket and sourpuss come to mind (or, ahem, show up in the thesaurus). These people are usually unfriendly, imposters with fake smiles and seem to be hypocrites of the highest order. Why they are involved or connected with the arts is anybody’s guess, but I suppose all fields of endeavour have their bad apples. Or maybe they were just having a bad day.
I think all artists deserve to be known, heard and paid well. But another viewpoint I also agree with is, as writer Kurt Vonnegut said, “The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable”. Could denying people this positive effect by limiting an artist’s presence or influence be considered a crime against humanity?
That was the summer that was
Well, that was a summer! Not only did we have such changeable weather, culminating in a glorious Indian summer in early September, but while out and about distributing our 10th anniversary issue of ingénu/e magazine we also expanded the number of outlets in various places throughout the region and reinstated Alfriston and Seaford, having not visited either since before the pandemic.
And in this summer of 2023 there was a veritable feast of artistic events of all genres right across our area that left us very spoilt for choice. We did manage to visit a few, but not nearly as many as we’d have liked of course, and once again we were astounded by the sheer quantity and quality of what was on offer, all in the main created by local artists and creatives. Stand-outs include…
Time and Tide
A cliff walk viewing the Seven Sisters white cliffs at Cuckmere Haven, east of Seaford, and then visiting Salt Edge Artists' absolutely splendid Time and Tide exhibition at South Hill Barn. What a venue! And
what an exhibition. In what seemed a huge undertaking in a relatively remote setting, in two very large spaces inside the barn, we witnessed a fabulous collaboration of artists with a rich variety of work: sculptures, original prints, paintings, mixed media creations, jewellery, photomontage, installations, even a delicately hand-stiched dress. The artists created work specifically for this exhibition, taking their inspiration from the interwoven themes of time and change. When we visited it was beautifully sunny – an absolutely marvellous day out.
Morning has broken
Alfriston has been called one of most beautiful villages in England, and for good reason. We really enjoyed our afternoon there wandering around, distributing the magazine, discovering new outlets, stopping for tea and cake, chatting with people and generally soaking up the sun and aesthetic charm of the village.
Years ago, on our impromptu, devil-may-
care honeymoon road trip around England and Scotland, we came across Barter Books in Alnwick, Northumberland. What a find for us, both being book lovers. It’s one of the largest second-hand bookshops in Europe, housed in Alnwick's old grand Victorian railway station which was closed in 1968. You have to visit it to believe it, but it’s an incredible place, and since then we have been fascinated with old, sometimes oblique meandering bookshops,
complete with nooks and crannies and wonderful books.
And so, while distributing the magazine in Alfriston, it was with joy we discovered the awardwinning Much Ado Books, and while losing ourselves browsing the shelves between the alcoves, and breathing in that ubiquitous olfactory experience of a true, timeworn bookshop, we were very happy that it also became one of our latest magazine outlets.
Between sojourns for coffee and cake at Badgers Tea House & Garden and the Singing Kettle (both new outlets) we met the vivacious jewellery maker Jade Golding, who was very happy for her shop Pepper You to be an outlet for the magazine. Jade opened Pepper You in Alfriston after being an online business for four years. “Born from a love of creating and a fascination with the journey of imagination to a physical product, these are little pieces of art for your ears” says Jade. “All the products that I make and curate are made to last the whims of trends and the wear and tear of time.” Jade also runs regular jewellery workshops.
And, as a final word on this beautiful, archetypal English village, did you know that in 1931 author
from top: the enchanting Much Ado Books, Alfriston; Badgers Tea House & Garden, Alfriston; Pepper You, Alfriston; Jade Golding at Pepper You
Eleanor Farjeon wrote the popular hymn ‘Morning Has Broken’ in Alfriston? The hymn, supposedly inspired by the beauty she saw around her in the village, became internationally known after being recorded by Cat Stevens on his album Teaser and the Firecat in 1971. Amazing what one can learn on one’s travels!
Ten days of Colour Wave
In August, Gallery Uno in Seaford, the home of the Sussex Arts Collective, brought together an exciting collection of new work. We popped into the gallery to see Uno Solo Three ‘Colour Wave’, featuring original paintings and hand felted fibre art from Lynn Beck and Linda Wells respectively. It never ceases to amaze us, but once again we were enchanted by the talent and diversity of styles of these local artists.
All these accomplished people need broader exposure, and many of the public need to wake up and stop buying ‘what they are supposed to’, be it cheap or very expensive, explore their imaginations and search out these wonderfully skilled creatives!
Bury me where my arrow falls
Another genre of local creativity is of course live theatre, exemplified perfectly by the Sussex-based theatre company This Is My Theatre, whom we had the pleasure of seeing perform Robin Hood in the open air at Tilgate Park, Crawley, in August. What a talented, cheerful and hard-working bunch these people are. A merry band indeed. They deal with all the aspects of touring their productions; booking venues, dealing with finance, marketing, costumes, set design and such, while also rehearsing and bringing very professional performances to the public. Kudos to all concerned!
I was highly amused earlier this year when actor Simon Pegg went on a rant about Rishi Sunak’s voiced idea that all children should be forced to learn maths until the age of 18. He was obviously angry, and judg-
ing by the number of expletives he used, it was a spontaneous diatribe. I thought he made a valid point, however, highlighted by the cut back support for the Arts and Humanities which, as he said, foster the country's amazing reputation for self-expression. He no doubt was aware of the neglect of the arts at national and local government levels as regards funding and support. I noticed this during the lockdown, when theatres, galleries, performers and artists in general were let down very badly. I recently saw an article which reported that Berlin's new proposed culture budget was more than double England's arts funding. What’s going on? Emerging artists need all the support they can get!! All creative endeavours should be helped, not just a chosen few. Art, creativity, innovation, original thought are not just mere aesthetic pastimes to entertain us, they shape our lives, bring us pleasure, make us think and often herald in the future, being innovative and elevating our culture. Or am I just dreaming?
A Voyage Round My Father
Life of Pi
The Merchant of Venice 1936 Christmas Concerts
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
The Jungle Book Noises Off
2:22 A Ghost Story
Drop the Dead Donkey
Black is the Color of My Voice
Scan the QR code to view the full line-up! Nov 2023 – Mar 2024
Tickets from £10 Book at cft.org.uk