Hailsham Arts Festival 2011
The fifth Hailsham Arts Festival runs from Friday 9th – Monday 19th September 2011, in and around Hailsham. It includes the usual cultural medley of art, music, drama, dance, poetry and art history, including an evening of Greek music and dance and an exhibition featuring several artists from France, three of whom come from Gournay-en-Bray, Hailsham’s twin town.
The aim of the festival is to celebrate all that Hailsham has to offer: both in terms of the fantastic creative talent of the performers and artists, and the local businesses and venues that are supporting us. Especially in the current economic situation, it seems even more important than ever for people to explore the opportunities in their area and support the local community. The festival provides something for all ages – from entertainment to education to exercise! It will give residents, particularly those who haven’t been involved in the arts before, an opportunity to go along to some of the workshops, have a taste of what’s on offer and, hopefully, find a new hobby or interest in the process.
The official festival opening ceremony was on Saturday 10th September at St Mary’s Church. After the opening speeches by High Sheriff of East Sussex Kathy Gore and Mayor of Hailsham Cllr. Jeff Bentley-Astor, there was a lively performance by local folk and world music group ‘Contraband’ who really got the audience’s toes tapping!
A new introduction for this year is the children’s event on Saturday 17th September, organised by the newly established HA4K (Hailsham Arts for Kids) group. It includes fancy dress, songs and games, all led by St George and his dragon, as he teaches the children about the history of England. On Saturday 10th September the children enjoyed a medieval creative workshop at Gallery North to make crowns, shields, flags and even some dragon masks in preparation for the parade.
The High Street Art Trail is a display of work throughout the windows of occupied and empty shops in the town; of paintings, photography and sculpture by local artists, both professional and amateur. The empty shop windows are part of the initiative by the Hailsham Town Council to improve the look of the High Street and revitalise the town centre.
We would like to thank all our regular sponsors for their continued support and Hailsham Town Council for their help and encouragement.
The Hailsham Arts Festival is organised by Gallery North, a not for profit organisation that promotes the work of local artists and offers workshops, talks and classes to the local community.
Further details are available from Gallery North or on the festival website: www.hailshamartsfestival.co.uk.
