The 15th annual Halesworth Arts Festival begins next weekend with a plethora of talent lined up for this year’s programme.
The popular event is known to attract capacity crowds who enjoy seeing high quality artists in the intimate surroundings of The Cut arts centre.
Top of the bill this year is comedian Andy Hamilton, who will bring his Change Management tour to the venue on Thursday, October 20. Mr Hamilton is the award-winning co-creator and writer of BBC One’s Outnumbered, Drop the Dead Donkey and the film What We Did On Our Holiday.
The festival begins next Saturday, October 8, with Opera Up Close - Opera Cocktail, with the Madly Brilliant Opera Company at 7.30pm and the programme continues with a performance by the Carducci String Quartet on Monday, October 10, a talk by Martin Bell on Thursday, October 20, and 100 Years of Jazz in 99 Minutes on Sunday, October 23.
As part of the festival there is an arts exhibition open daily at 10.30am, with free admission. This year’s theme is ‘performance’ in all its forms through the medium of photographs by Bill Jackson and Peter Everard Smith. Also on display will be a selection of work from students at Artbox.
Matthew Wetmore, festival director said: “We’ve had a truly fantastic response to the 2016 festival programme, not just from Halesworth, as there have been ticket requests from all over the country. Most events are selling fast, with some already sold out.
“We’re very excited about this year’s line-up and looking forward to welcoming back artists like the Irish group Dervish, pianist John Lill and clarinettist Emma Johnson, who will be taking a look at the clarinet in the world of jazz.
“The festival is the new home for the Suffolk Young Poets Competition and the finalists will have the chance to read their poems under the watchful eye of the brilliantly funny poet Matt Harvey.
“We hope that Halesworth can be proud that it has a festival on its doorstep that can hold its head up high with the best of them. We try to cater for the widest range of interests that we can.”
The festival is a non-profit making charity and relies on local people and businesses to support it.
Its patrons include Bernard Hill and Diana Quick and it is run completely by volunteers.
Visit www.halesworthartsfestival.org.uk for the festival line-up.
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