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Outstanding Musicians | Exhibitions & Open Studios | Members' Performance Events | Well-known speakers | Social Events | Workshops

Crowborough Arts supports the arts, and arts practitioners in our area.

Happy New Year from CA's Steering Group to members and non-members alike! With the arrival of 2021 and the roll-out of the vaccine, we're hoping to see a gradual return to our normal activities: concerts, performances, exhibitions, literary events, workshops ... we can't wait until we're able to put together the publicity for our first event!

Last spring, at the beginning of the pandemic, we decided to use this website to keep in touch, and to create a space for use as a showcase for our members' work. For now, we're still inviting and encouraging you to contribute - perhaps a new painting or photograph you'd like to share, a poem or maybe a short story. 

Get involved by emailing Gaye with your suggestions and ideas. In particular, if you'd like to be featured as an artist, with a picture of you or your work, and would be willing to give a short telephone interview, we'd love to hear from you.

Check Out Sue's Website

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One of CA's founding members, Sue Petszaft, has launched her own website. Sue creates a wide range of artwork including necklaces, papier mache bowls, original artwork, cards and much more, all of which is available to buy. Click on the image to go to her site.  


Christmas Card Competition Results

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Mary Hazel Harris
Angela Vernon Bates
Karen Webster
Our competition for the Crowborough Arts Christmas card design had over 30 entries, which was brilliant! What a creative lot you are! Thanks to everyone who took part.

​The Steering Group shortlisted the designs, and then we asked an independent professional designer to make the final choices. The three selected are shown above and our congratulations go to Mary, Angela and Karen. Each winning artist received 10 cards of their own design, and mixed or single design packs were available to buy. These proved very popular, so we're planning to hold another competition next year.

Erica Walks for Children in Need - Update!

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Erica Adams writes, 'I have attached a video of part of my sponsored walk for Children in Need shown on BBC SE lunchtime news today (13th Nov). I thought you might be interested to know that it will also be on their evening news tonight as well as the main BBC 1 programme at 7.20. So far I have raised £530 and am hoping tonight's exposure will add more. Many thanks to those who have donated.'
Below is Erica's account of her feat:
'Saturday 10th October, eleven o’clock, time to set off on my Children in Need sponsored walk. Disappointingly the weather is fine. It would look more heroic to trundle my walking frame through gales, rainstorms or snow, but it is not to be so I don my Pudsey ears and drive to Goldsmiths with husband, Maurice, by my side.
 
Outside the Leisure Centre my daughter, Jan Moffitt, is waiting so, with a cheery wave goodbye to Maurice, we set off on the upward path skirting the left of the building and I wonder if the carpet of acorns will speed me up or crash me down. But I negotiate them without a hitch with Jan spurring me on and making jokes which make me laugh proving that it’s possible to walk, breathe and laugh all at the same time even at my age.
 
I puff my way up the long sloping path until at the top it turns right and a beautiful panoramic scene bursts into view. I fling out my arms and sing ‘The hills are alive with …’ but my Julie Andrews moment is curtailed by the need to stop my walker sailing away. Now it’s downhill until we turn right at the bottom onto the not-quite-flat path that always sets my ankle off, but I bravely limp on until reaching the outdoor gym equipment where I wonder whether to have a go. However, this challenge is to walk for half an hour, not waste time keeping fit, so we turn left onto the circular path above the running track and continue trudging around whilst young people zip past on the track beside us. It is like travelling on a donkey with Tesla electric cars speeding by.
 
Eventually a full half hour has passed. In my head music plays and fireworks explode. I dash to our car and my man leaps out waving a St George’s flag. We kiss. And that is that.
 
I had aimed to make £88 for Children in Need. Currently the total is £485. Whoop whoop!'


Booklovers Update

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As physical meetings are not possible at the moment, members have been meeting via Zoom, Click here for the latest titles and to find out what they thought!

Read Our Latest Newsletter!

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Click here to download our latest newsletter as a pdf. 

Rewind ...

Click here to visit our archive - including every single item since the lockdown began!

Ray Hennessey

PictureRay surrounded by books on his 90th Birthday
​Ray Hennessey, one of Crowborough Arts' founder members and former treasurer, sadly died on Christmas Eve aged 90.
 
Ray was an antiquarian bookseller and his particular love was miniature books. He and his late wife Deanna help to found Crowborough Arts, and their energy and contacts helped the organisation to grow into what it is today. After Deanna’s death Ray decided to step down as treasurer but always offered to help at events and particularly enjoyed checking tickets and taking money at the concerts in Green Cottage because he could have a glass of red wine and chat to everyone as they came in.
 
We shall remember him with great fondness and he will be sadly missed when we are able to resume our activities.


King Lear Prizes Spring 2021 Announced

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Following the success of two of our members - Mary Harris and Stella Mance - in the last round of the King Lear Prizes, we thought you might be interested to know that the organisation has announced a new batch of creative competitions for the over 65's.

Gyles Brandreth, writer, broadcaster and Judge for the King Lear Prizes says, “What better way to make a fresh start in 2021, than to get stuck into a new creative project?”

​“Whether you are a keen amateur, picking up again after many years, or even if you are dabbling in a new hobby for the first time, the King Lear Prizes should be just the prod you need to get going this New Year. As we’ve known all along: when it comes to creativity, age doesn’t matter a jot!”


​Click here to go to the King Lear Prizes website.


Donate Alongside CA to Restore a Very Special Instrument!

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Roger in 2019
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Roger with the pianola at Batemans ​in the 1980s.
We received an appeal from Trudy Harper, on behalf of her father, Roger Taylor, who has lived in East Sussex for over 40 years. Music played a great part in his life; he was a trumpet player, a piano player and a fine singer. For a time he and his late wife lived at Rudyard Kipling's former home, Batemans. Roger is now 85 and lives in High Broom Care Home in Crowborough. 

Trudy writes, ‘In my garage is a very special but rather sad and dilapidated pianola which predates 1910. It has been a very special machine in our family and has lived in many different homes.  It featured in all family celebrations as Dad peddled like fury to the strains of ‘Daisy Daisy’, ‘Get me to the Church on Time’ and ‘The Dashing White Sergeant’.

Trudy has launched an appeal to raise £2,000 for the restoration of the pianola, so that it can be rehomed to High Broom for the entertainment of all the residents. She says, ‘We would love to see Dad peddle away again … please help us raise the funds to restore a little piece of history and give the High Broom Community a Christmas Gift to remember and get the twinkle back in a rather eccentric octogenarian’s eyes.’

Crowborough Arts is delighted to donate £300 to such a great cause.  If you would like to make an independent donation, please go to the GoFundMe page: gf.me/u/y6dwii).
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  • Home
    • Archive
  • Events
    • Members Showcase
    • Events Archive
  • Visual Arts & Open Studios
    • Open Studios
    • Life Drawing & Portraiture
    • Art In The Garden
    • Station Posters Project 2019 >
      • Station Posters
  • Music
  • Literary & Performing Arts
    • Booklovers >
      • Booklovers Archive
    • Playreaders
  • Bursary
  • Membership
    • Get Involved
  • Newsletter/Blog
    • Latest News/Blog
  • Contact Us
    • Links
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