Hailsham is gearing up for a varied line-up of talented regional artists and a feast of music, dance, drama, literature and street entertainment as the town hosts the Hailsham Festival in September.
The Hailsham Festival, one of the highlights of the town’s events calendar, attracts a cross-section of artists and performers from the South East and further afield, and offers a wide variety of exhibits and performances to suit all tastes.
Once again, the Hailsham Festival Committee is inviting members of the community to share and showcase their creative achievements in their various galleries and publications. Over 70 people participated in 2020 and it is hoped that a similar number will do so again this year. Members of the public will be able to see the results in their Virtual Art Trail (hailshamfestival.co.uk/virtual-art-trail), which will launch on 4th September and their Poetry & Short Story Anthology (hailshamfestival.co.uk/writing) which will be available to buy as an e-book and in print.
Fesitival organisers are also encouraging children under 14 years of age to upload photographs of any art they had made during the period of lockdown. The Children’s Lockdown Art Gallery features images they have created during the pandemic lockdowns and is an ongoing project.
The acclaimed poet and broadcaster Roger McGough will be presenting a Showcase Concert of the festival’s community musical, String! on Saturday 18th September at the Hailsham Pavilion – possibly the most ambitious project organisers have ever commissioned and a must-see for festival-goers. Tickets will be on sale from Pavilion box office in late July.
The Festival will also feature a Hailsham Nostalgia Fair at the Cattle Market site in Market Street on Saturday 18th September, introducing the ‘String Town’ rope of memories, fairground rides, circus acts Morris dancers, live entertainment, children’s arts and craft, antique evaluations, food and drink and much more.
Full details of the events making up this year’s Hailsham Festival – both face-to-face and virtual – is available to view on their website: hailshamfestival.uk
This year, we have decided to hold a limited amount of face-to-face events with the majority still being held virtually,” said Dr Tony Biggin, Chair of Hailsham Festival. “However, the enthusiasm with which the team embraced the lifting of restrictions meant that in no time at all we found ourselves presenting over 30 events. So much for the cautious approach – but then, the arts are all about risk-taking!”
“The arts represent a vital component of our culture, enriching our community and creating a vibrant landscape from which we all benefit. Thank you for all your support over the years – we hope to make next year bigger and even better!”
The Mayor’s Concert this year, which takes place at Hailsham Parish Church on Saturday 4th September is a free event featuring performances by Hailsham Choral Society, Bourne to Sing with the Warbleton Warblers and trumpeter Marcus Plant.
Town Mayor Councillor Paul Holbrook said: “Hailsham and the rest of East Sussex has such an amazingly rich seam of arts and culture. There is an amazing wealth of artistic talent and it will be an honour for me to be part of this year’s festival and invite the community to put the festival dates in their diaries.”
“I’m sure festival organisers will surpass all expectations again this year with events, despite a reduction in the number of in-person events and continuation of virtual ones.”
Councillor Holbrook added: “On behalf of the Town Council, I’d like to thank those community groups and individuals in the town for all the hard work and generous support given to organising this year’s festival. A vast amount of work is carried out behind the scenes by dedicated volunteers and we are hoping that even more volunteers will get involved in this year’s festival, give their support and contribute to its success.”
Terry Hall, Communications Officer
Hailsham Town Council, Market Street, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AE
Telephone: 01323 841702 | Email: terry.hall@hailsham-tc.gov.uk