The Arts Society Sandwich’s Summer Evening Dinner will be held from 6pm on Friday 10th July at the Guildhall, Sandwich. It will have a James Bond theme: 007 glamour, spy intrigue and more. The cost is £40 per person.

Starter: Broccoli & Stilton Soup

Main Course: Roast Beef or Baked Fillet of Salmon (please select when you book)

Dessert: Apple Pie & Custard

Dress code: 007 Glamour

For Vegetarian/gluten/lactose free options contact: christine.ratcliffe@outlook.com

Payments by bank transfer to:

MetroBank The Arts Society Sandwich Sort code: 23 05 80 Account number: 43338277

Please put SS as a reference! Also, please email Summer Supper 2026 to cally@vaile.myzen.co.uk and treasurer.artsocssocietysandwich@gmail.com with the names of the attendees.

Dover Choral Society presents:

AN EVENING IN ITALY VIVALDI - GLORIA MONTEVERDI - BEATUS VIR OPERA CHORUSES & MORE

7.00pm SATURDAY 25TH APRIL 2026 at CHARLTON CHURCH, DOVER

JOIN US FOR A MAGNIFICENT EVENING CELEBRATING THE RICH AND PASSIONATE MUSIC OF ITALY. FEATURING WORKS BY RENOWNED ITALIAN COMPOSERS SUCH AS VIVALDI, PUCCINI, VERDI, ROSSINI & OTHERS

Tickets £15

Students & u16's £10

Available online via the website and on the door

Cash and contactless payment accepted

www.doverchoralsociety.org.uk

email: secretary@doverchoralsociety.org.uk

Members of The Arts Society Sandwich and The Arts Society Dover, Deal & Sandwich have been enjoying a rare opportunity to volunteer at the historic Goodnestone Park Mansion, a beautiful Kent estate with fascinating links to Jane Austen.

The house forms part of a rich literary and social history. The daughter of the 3rd Baronet married Jane Austen’s brother, Edward Austen, and Jane herself was a frequent visitor to Goodnestone. Today, the estate is owned by the 22nd Baron FitzWalter, Julian Plumptre, who gives his full support to this important cataloguing project.

To ensure the work meets professional conservation standards, volunteers attended a training day led by Caroline Bendix, a highly respected and accredited library conservator and Arts Society lecturer. Her guidance has equipped the team with the meticulous skills needed to handle and document historic volumes with due care.

Goodnestone Park Mansion contains an extensive library. Sets of books that have been separated over time are being reunited. Within the collection are a number of antiquarian books, alongside hundreds of additional volumes that are gradually being cleaned, catalogued and carefully returned to their rightful places on the shelves. The project will create a complete inventory and location system for the collection, preserving an important part of the house’s heritage for future generations.

A wonderful opportunity for our enthusiastic volunteers to gain hands-on experience in the preservation of a historic collection at one of Kent’s most beautiful heritage houses, safeguarding a remarkable library and an important piece of Goodnestone’s story.

Meet the Artist

We invite you to join artist and weaver Margo Selby for an intimate discussion in her studio about the making of the handwoven textile installation moon landing, currently suspended in Canterbury Cathedral's magnificent presbytery.

• Artist talk & weaving demonstration
• 2pm, 9th July 2025
• Margo Selby Studio Unit 114, Joseph Wilson Ind. Estate Whitstable CT5 2BA

Margo will share insights into her creative process and approach to weaving this extraordinary 16-metre artwork and how she was influenced by the music of Helen Caddick, followed by a live weaving demonstration showcasing the techniques behind this large-scale artwork.

To secure your place at this Meet the Artist event, please email your name to: info@margoselby.com or click here for Margo's website.

Experience the Artwork 

On now until 31st August 2025 at Canterbury Cathedral

Prior to our Meet The Artist event, we recommend you see moon landing in person within the breathtaking setting of Canterbury Cathedral. The scale and craftsmanship can only be truly appreciated when experienced firsthand in this sacred space.

Canterbury Cathedral is a short 20 minute drive from the Margo Selby Studio in Whitstable.

Purchase a Cathedral Pass for year-round access to this historic site and Margo's installation throughout its exhibition period. For details click here.

Enjoy a Free Illustrated Talk open to ALL on the beautiful stained glass windows of Sacrifice & Hope to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe)

Saturday 3rd May 2025 @ 3 pm St Mary's Church, St Clare Rd, Walmer

By Rev'd Dr Richard Warden Former Army Chaplain, Local Resident and Chair of The Christian Arts' Trust

Followed by Refreshments

The Deal & Walmer HANDELIAN Choral Society presents Brahms Requiem

Saturday 5 April 2025 7:30 p.m.

St George's Church, Deal, CT 14 6BA

Soprano - Kirsty O'Neill

Baritone - Trevor Alexander

Musical Director - Chris Lockyer

Choir & Chamber Ensemble

Tickets £15, or 28 for students & under 16s available at www.dwhsociety.co.uk or on the door

St Saviour’s Community Garden Group

The Story of Plants & Plant Hunters 

A presentation by Stephen Harmer Head Gardener at Tonbridge School

2.30pm 22nd March 2025

St. Saviour's Church, The Strand, Walmer

Entrance £5.00

Including refreshments

This year we are celebrating our tenth anniversary at Linden Hall Studio and from 3rd December – 31st January will be culminating the year with our biggest ever WINTER GROUP SHOW!

This exhibition is our flagship exhibition and has become a highlight of our yearly programme, featuring a variety of work across the entire spectrum and media of visual art.

As always there will be an array of works by established artists and emerging talent, with a few ten-year anniversary surprises to be announced!

Linden Hall Studio, 32 St Georges Road, Deal, Kent, CT14 6BA

Tel: 01304 360411

info@lindenhallstudio.co.uk

www.lindenhallstudio.co.uk

Following on from our September lecture on Hokusai, a version of The Wave by Sandwich Junior School. 

Exploring the Saints, Stories and Symbols in the Beautiful Stained Glass Windows at St Mary’s Church, St Clare Rd, Walmer on Saturday 14th September 2024 at 2.30 pm. Discover the nationally significant ‘Sea Window’ dedicated to the celebrated local ‘Blue Plaque’ resident John Roget – Artist and compiler of the Thesaurus. Plus 14 of the striking Biblical Windows depicting famous Old Testament Characters.

A FREE TALK OPEN TO ALL by Rev’d Dr Richard Warden local resident and Chair of “The Christian Arts’ Trust”

For National Open Heritage Weekend

Including Tea and Refreshments

P.S. Please feel free to bring some binoculars if you have a pair!

On 16th June we visited UCA in Canterbury to view their end of year exhibition. We made three awards, one of £100 and two of £50, to students in the Fashion and textile Department. The winner of the top award will be coming to the September lecture to display their work. Disappointingly, the Foundation Course will now no longer be taught at Canterbury which will be a sad loss for local students wishing to take up further education in art related studies.

In early July, we visited the Goodwin Academy in Deal to view their A level and GCSE work. This is an Art Department which is making excellent progress from what might be termed a "standing start". We made three awards, one to the only A level student, to whom we also made an award when she was a GCSE student two years ago. Her progress has been marked. We made other awards to two GCSE students who both showed real promise. I was able to attend the Goodwin end of year awards ceremony and present the awards personally.

On July 3rd, we attended the Dover Grammar School for girls A level exhibition. We were all very impressed with the high overall standard of work. We made four awards, two for artwork and two for photography. One student’s work was judged by us all as outstanding, being accomplished in technique, vision, and imagination. Another student also showed great promise for the future while two other students demonstrated excellent technique and originality in terms of their handling of the photographic medium.

Finally, we visited Dover Grammar School for Boys for the first time. The school is housed in entirely new premises and the Art Department is on the top floor with a magnificent view across Dover far out to the Channel. Here we made four awards, three to A level students and one to an outstanding GCSE student. One student’s Design and Technology piece and his plans for the completed work were a delight, while other student’s artwork showed real promise as did an GCSE student.

Visiting the schools was an enjoyable experience, the heads of department we met were all very enthusiastic about their work and so were the students when we were able to talk to them. Everyone was very appreciative of the input of our Arts Society. I shall shortly be emailing the schools to get them to submit students' work for the Sandwich Arts Week exhibition.

The creative arts exhibition at St Mary’s Art Centre on 28th to 30th July was visited by 444 people and from the positive feedback has been judged a great success. The TASS organising committee were joined by DSS members Josephine Long who put in a lot of hours and  Mike Judd. Tim Mottishaw covered the website. 

Sandwich Deputy Mayor opened the exhibition. The total sum taken for art sales was a healthy £2667. This is an improvement on last year’s exhibition. The quality and diversity of the works was remarkable. Each item sold incurred 25% commission payable to member’s relevant Society.

Refreshments and generous donations amounted to over £130 shared between each society and also benefited by having new members join. Others showed great interest in doing so.

In summary, both societies agreed to pay up to £230 towards the costs of the exhibition. TASS made a profit of £585.82.  Dover Deal and Sandwich a profit of £23.00 which will go towards supporting Young Arts. This disparity is the difference in the number of art sales; the Sandwich society had the greater number of exhibitors compared to our relative few whose works nonetheless received a lot of interest. If the exhibition becomes a regular event it is hoped to see more works exhibited by our members.

Overall, our involvement reinforced our close ties with TASS and from a local community view the exhibition gave people an insight to  The Arts Society. They gained a lot of pleasure in seeing local artists produce creative arts for all to admire.

Chris Flint,  Dover Deal and Sandwich Chair. 

At the Arts Society Dover Deal and Sandwich October lecture Frankie Fox receives the Young Arts Award from Mike Judd on completion of her Foundation Course at the University of Creative Arts at Canterbury

The Arts Society Sandwich have an exciting opportunity to offer you which involves painting classes by the very experienced painter and teacher Angelo Pizzario who teaches Art in College.

It will be held regularly on a Friday morning at St Mary's Art Centre in Sandwich. The lessons will be for both beginners and intermediates and will cost £15 for a 3 hour lesson. 

If you are interested please contact Christine Ratcliffe at christine.ratcliffe@outlook.com

Christine Ratcliffe of The Arts Society Sandwich (TASS) is organising an arts exhibition at St Mary's church Sandwich between 29th July and 1st August . She invites our members to submit works of their own to the exhibition. If interested please contact Christine as soon as possible. TASS will ask for a 20% fee of the price of items sold. Christine can be contacted on 01304 813036 or 07803 238733. Her email is christine.ratcliffe@outlook.com.

Dear Members

Some news from us before our summer break.

Young Arts: Mike Judd and members of the Committee have viewed end of year art exhibitions at The Goodwin Academy Deal and Dover Grammar School for Girls and made a selection for our awards to the most promising students. They have also selected a student from our area who has completed a foundation course at The University of The Creative Arts, Canterbury. She will be attending our meeting in September to display her work and receive her award.

A memorial service for Ann Vine, one of our founder members, will take place on Monday 18th July at 2.30pm at St Andrew's church Wickhambreaux.

On Wednesday 27th July Chris is going to see the exhibition celebrating the 150th anniversary of the celebrated artist Willian Nicholson at his former home at The Grange Gallery, Rottingdean BN2 7HA which runs until 31st July. Entrance is free. He has two spaces in the car if anyone would like to join him and Betty. Please let him know at bettychrisrf@hotmail.com or 01304 368324.

We meet again on Tuesday 6th September for the first of our autumn lecture programme, "Summer in Newport " by Mary Alexander.

We can also look forward to a day trip to Hastings Contemporary on 14th September and a Study Day on13th October with Rosamund Bartlett on the fabled Ballets Russes, established by Diaghilev in Paris in 1909. Tickets for both events will be on sale in September.

It remains for me to wish you all a very pleasant summer.

Denise Lyon
Membership Secretary

Lydia Elliott, who was one of two recipients of awards from the Arts Society of Dover Deal and Sandwich on completion of their Foundation Course at the University of the Creative Arts (UCA) in Canterbury in 2019, has just graduated in Art with First Class Honours at UCA. She hopes to go on to do a Masters Degree at Goldsmiths College in London next year after taking a year out to teach in a special school in Broadstairs. We send her our warmest congratulations.

This year our award goes to Frankie Fox who has also completed her Foundation Year at UCA. All being well, Frankie will be attending our September meeting in the Guildhall when her work will be on display for our members to view and she will receive the Society's award.

Our final event before the summer break is a coffee morning on Tuesday 21st  June at The Royal Hotel, Deal at 10.30 to noon which the committee is hosting for members who have joined over the past few months or so and also those new members who were unable to come to the coffee morning last November. It is an opportunity to meet each other socially and to learn more about the society.

On Wednesday, 15th June I am going to Dover Grammar School to view their A level art exhibition in order to make award(s) for the Most Promising Artist (between 4-6pm). On Tuesday, 21st June I am going to the Goodwin Academy to view their Summer Show (between 3.30 to 6.30) to do the same for them. Those who receive awards will get the chance to exhibit their work at the Sandwich Arts Week in September. At both events the awards will be judged with the input from the Head of Art in each school. If anyone would like to join me then let me know. 

On Wednesday, 22nd June, Jac, Josephine and myself will visit UCA in Canterbury to make awards to students completing their Foundation Year who are resident in the Dover, Deal and Sandwich area.

The photo is of Mike Judd handing a cheque to Willie Cooper who is the General Manager of Deal Music & Arts (DMA). Willie thanked Mike for the cheque and for pursuing the link with DMA and was confident that this will be mutually beneficial in the future.

Mike Judd is our society lead on Young Arts. He has established good relations with Art Departments at various schools, and on occasions when the lecture topic is appropriate he invites students to join us. Admittedly, this has been done via a webinar but hopefully they will be able to come in person for future lectures. 

Dear Members

It was great to see so many members turn up to our Webinar after the last-minute change.

In the light of the significant number of people who have tested positive with the Covid omicron variant and the Government’s advice to adopt a cautious approach to meeting people due to its transmissibility and, also, the possibility that central government may announce its plans in the New Year, I asked the committee whether we should continue with a live lecture at the Guildhall or go back to having it as a zoom Webinar. A majority decided that we should use Zoom.

We are not alone as the Sandwich Arts Society has also decided to revert to zoom for its Monday evening lecture.

Denise will send to you by email the link to connect to the lecture a couple of days before, and please do keep a watch for it. Malcolm will explain in the email how to connect if you are a first time user of zoom. Please don’t hesitate to contact either Malcolm (malcolm@clerkehall.uk) or Tim (tdmottishaw@yahoo.co.uk) if you have difficulties. Please do let Arts Society members know of this change, especially if they do not have access to a computer.

The Sandwich Guildhall understands our anxieties and is allowing us the flexibility of deciding ourselves whichever we consider is the more sensible approach. This is very helpful.

Let us hope this is a temporary setback to our planned return to Guildhall lectures and we’ll ensure you are kept aware how we view future lectures.

Sorry about all this. It does give me the opportunity on behalf of the committee to wish you a Very Happy New Year and with hope for a more stable future in the months ahead.

Chris

Chairman, The Arts Society Dover Deal & Sandwich

Below is Mike Judd's wonderful portrayal of Mary which reflects the feelings of all members of the committee:

I would like to pay a tribute to Mary. When I first started on the committee, I found Mary to be a somewhat daunting person, she seemed so well-organised and efficient with a strong can-do attitude, which for me was a little frightening. All this was dispelled when we sat next to each other at a post-talk lunch one Tuesday in the George and Dragon. Because we had similar educational backgrounds as well as wider interests, we hit it off from that point onwards. She became a constant support with regard to Young Arts helping make contact with particular schools that she still had contact with. She was invaluable with help in drafting official letters to schools - she was a ferocious proof- reader - and used her IT skills to produce posters etc in the cause of Young Arts. She was always "switched on" at committee meetings making sure that all the "i’s" and "t’s" were dotted and crossed. It was a pleasure to be in her company at the committee meetings, lectures and more recently by Jan and myself when we visited her at her home in Deal. She will be much missed.

The photograph is of Mary visiting Thomas Hardy's cottage.

Matthew Willoughby:

Matthew is studying Photography and Graphics.  He has a very strong work ethic and is a very talented student

Rosie Topman:

Rosie is studying Ceramics and Photography.  She has created some beautiful work.

‘My Identity’ - Rosie has looked at how our identity is formed through our imperfections, particularly in our skin.  Rosie celebrates the diversity in all humans throughout her work with the use of different colour ink techniques.

 ‘Escapism’  - Georgie has explored how we use escapism in nature to cope with the pressures of day-to-day life.  Through her intricate use of fine liner, she examines each part of a woodland and how complex this environment is.

Dear Member

As I write the weather is wonderfully bright and warm, and let’s hope we have a similar kind of summer.  There are a few things I want you to know about and hope you’ll be able to join.
1. Coach day trip to Tenterden & Godinton House Wednesday 4 August 2021

A coach trip has been organized for members on Wednesday 4 August.  The details are on the ‘Trips’ page.

2. Zoom Coffee Morning

You may have read the recent Arts Society Instant Expert Lecture on Georgia O’Keefe, the American artist known for her paintings of enlarged flowers and landscapes of New Mexico, and renowned for her contribution to modern art. I’m sure you will also recall the excellent lecture in January on Frida Kahlo, a contemporary of O’Keefe’s.

I intend to host a virtual coffee morning via Zoom on Wednesday 30th June at 10.30 AM so we can compare and examine their respective works and divergent styles. I shall share with you some of their paintings. I hope you will be able to join the discussion and nearer the date I will ask Malcolm to circulate the Zoom link. It will be an opportunity for us to meet socially, albeit distanced, for an hour or so.

3. Church Recording Society

The Arts Society decided last year not to continue its funding of church recording volunteers, and a new Church Recording Society has been established to continue the recording of church contents. Its website is churchrecordingsociety.org.uk

You probably know that a small group is engaged in detailing items at St. Nicholas church, Sholden. We started in June 2019 but COVID-19 interrupted this work which has just resumed. We would like more willing to volunteer their time, around a couple of hours every other week at the church and some research. If interested to know more please contact me. My telephone number is 07923 174883. Just leave a message if not answered.

I wish you an enjoyable summer. Much depends on the Government’s decision later in July whether to remove the current restrictions and your committee is working with the Sandwich Guildhall in anticipation of a return to lectures there sometime this autumn.

All best wishes,

Chris

Chris Russell Flint, Chair.

It is with sadness that news of the death of our founder member, Ann Vine, has been passed to us by her sons, Richard and Alex.  Ann died on 10th March and would have been 90 in July.  

 Ann went to Stonar School in Wiltshire and remained there until 1946.  She only saw her father once in all that time, when he managed to get to Britain for a visit from Egypt, where he worked on the Suez Canal.  Ann was also a member of the Sandwich (Evening) Arts Society and throughout her life was totally committed to her interests in Fine Arts, plants, and gardens.  She regularly attended lectures of both societies.  Ann lived in Wickhambreaux and was a much valued supporter of so many aspects of village life.

The Vine family are planning a memorial service next year to mark what would have been her 91st birthday on 25th July 2022.  This is a tentative date but please put it in your diary and we shall keep everyone informed of details.

Spring Message from the Chairman, Chris Flint

I hope you all had a pleasant Easter and are looking forward to the Summer.

The need to adapt to the changed circumstances of lectures being streamed into your home using the webinar technology has not been easy for all members, but it is good to see more trying out the lectures.  A total of 95 have attended at least one lecture.  So far this year we have seen around 100 members and non-members joining our lectures and we are pleased the reciprocal arrangement with Sandwich society to share lectures is working well.  The take up by art students from our local schools for the Frida Kahlo talk and Bob Dunay’s insight into the Third Reich’s purge of modern art 1933-37 has been especially pleasing and many students sent complimentary comments.  Mike Judd’s efforts have been noted by the Kent Area Young Arts coordinator as an initiative other societies could follow. 

 Inevitably the Guildhall’s shut down has meant our Study Days have had to be re-arranged and Jac, our programme secretary, has negotiated dates for them to be held next year. 

·       Andy McConnell on 5000 years of Glass on 24th March 2022, and

·       Douglas Skeggs on Tyrants and Martyrs of Imperial Russia on 16th June 2022.

The Study Day on Charles Rennie Mackintosh will not take place this Autumn as the lecturer, Anthea Streeter, is retiring soon.  It may be difficult to organise a possible replacement.  Jac is thanked for her remarkable ability to select lecture topics which we find informative and enjoyable.  

 For understandable reasons, our society membership has gone down but it is still remarkably strong, and the committee is grateful for your continued loyalty in these difficult circumstances.  Not surprisingly, many members look forward to a return to the Guildhall, although less mobile members find the online lectures a bonus, as do those who feel uncertain about a return to large group meetings.  Some members have asked about a halfway compromise by holding hybrid lectures, where either the lecturer streams from their home into the Guildhall, or with the lecturer being in the Guildhall with a live audience and at the same time streaming into homes.  This is something we are considering but it is quite technical stuff.  The indefatigable Malcolm, who manages our IT and AV support, has done a few tests and experiments.  He now needs to check the quality of the presentation in the Guildhall which is not possible whilst it remains a Covid-19 test centre.  Once we have a clearer idea we will let you know.

 Our April, May and June lectures will continue as webinars and following our Summer break we may be able to resume lectures in the Guildhall.  Meanwhile, I am sure you use the invaluable Arts Society Connected website and you should also be receiving monthly email newsletters from head office, as shown:

·       Monthly highlights featuring news, arts, events, offer, books, films etc

·       Instant Expert lectures at home by accredited lecturers (fortnightly)

(Anyone can sign up for these emails. Go to theartssociety.org/signup)

·       Virtual tours of cities, museums, galleries can be accessed through Jac

·       If you are keen to know more about arts volunteering go to volunteering@theartssociety/org

My thanks for your continued involvement and support.

Chris

THE ARTS SOCIETY COMMUNICATIONS TIMELINE 2021

Summary of the main email newsletters/communications planned by The Arts Society for 2021. Please note that there may be modifications as time goes on.

MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS

·       Features curated highlights – news, arts, events, offers, books etc. 

INSTANT EXPERT  

•        Usually monthly, but increased to two a month during 2020

•        Features a different Accredited Lecturer each time

SPONSORED EMAILS 

In addition, from time to time, we send out exclusive offers for Arts Society Members on behalf of our trusted Travel Affiliates. These play an important role in providing a commercial subsidy against our core costs and are sent to all members and non-member subscribers. They are clearly marked as ‘Sponsored Content’ and, like all of our emails, can be unsubscribed from at any time. An example can be viewed here: https://mailchi.mp/theartssociety/travel-the-hebridean-way  

PLEASE NOTE:

Members may update their preferences (opt in/out of Monthly Highlights, Instant Expert and/or Sponsored emails) or unsubscribe from all emails at any time. This can be done by following the links at the bottom of the email newsletters. 

Anyone can sign up for our Monthly Highlights and Instant Expert emails via theartssociety.org/signup. Spread the word!

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The 42nd Annual General Meeting of ASDDS is to be held Online as a Zoom meeting on:

Tuesday 24th November 2020 at 10.30 am

To ensure that the meeting is quorate, your attendence would be much appreciated in these difficult times.

All the relevant papers for the AGM will be sent to you by post and the zoom link will be emailed to you a few days before the meeting.

A lecture on 'The Barnes collection' will follow the meeting and should prove to be enjoyable, interesting and informative.

Dear Members,

This has been an exceptional Summer weather wise and maybe at times almost too hot and humid, and with the constraints of COVID-19 restricting movement and association there has been significant impacts on how the Arts Society has been able to run its affairs. In short, with difficulty. I thank you for your understanding which will be tinged with disappointment that we have not been able to have our usual lectures and social meets, outings and visits. I give full credit to the team at Arts Society House for providing a series of lectures, virtual visits to galleries and exhibitions, and guiding us to how to run digital lectures using Zoom. Well, it has been a new learning experience for many societies not least ours; I am extremely grateful to Malcolm Hall who ensures the equipment at our lectures works for his involvement and guidance in setting up Zoom committee meetings, and in July we had a social meeting followed by a fascinating and most ably presented talk by Bob Dunay on Grant Wood’s iconic American Gothic painting. It was most encouraging that many of you joined the digital talk, and your committee encourages you to follow the new series of lectures for 2020/21.

So now we look to the Autumn, and with no immediate prospect of a return to the Sandwich Guildhall we are reverting to Zoom lectures to which you’ll receive an invitation giving you access to the talks. This will be a webinar enabling more to join than a Zoom meeting. This is a reminder that the September talk will take place on Tuesday 1st September starting at 11 am.

“Frederick Leighton and Leighton House by Daniel Robins”

At the time of his death Frederick, Lord Leighton was the most celebrated artist of his generation and this lecture explores his life and work and his dramatic debut at the Royal Academy, and also the construction of his studio/house in Kensington. Daniel Robins is senior curator of museums with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and has special responsibility for Leighton House. So he is perfectly placed to give us an insight into the great man’s life. Do join us, and the committee also encourages all our members to invite others, members and non-members, to watch the lecture with them. It will add a social side to the event and hopefully will introduce others to our fascinating lectures and the high standard of presentation. If you know of a member or non-member who is not able to see the talk because they have no internet, ask them along.

The invitation will come to you on Monday or Tuesday next week, so please watch out for it.

Betty and I have been away for the past 3 weeks in France and now find ourselves quarantined, and I have had a chance to become an instant expert on the past glories and origins of Pierrots. This is by Arts Society lecturer Dr. Tony Lidington, sent out to members on 11th August. It’s a rather fascinating insight of the pierrots who were widespread at seaside resorts in Britain up until WW2.
Our trip to visit historic houses and the heritage of Hampshire has been rearranged to take place on 18 to 20 May 2021, staying as the Winchester Royal Hotel on a half board basis from £384 (single supplement £60). Obviously much depends on government advice about the COVID-19 situation but we do hope it will be possible for it to go ahead.
The committee joins me in hoping that you’ll join us for the talk on 1st September, and for many others in the 2020/21 programme which will be circulated in November. These will be included on our society website which is undergoing a significant revamp under Mary Archer’s direction.
All best wishes,

Chris
Chair
The Arts Society Dover Deal & Sandwich

Dear Members

As we approach Easter we now accept that it’s not going to be the same. Churches and other places of worship closed, and lockdown prevents us from visiting families and friends, as well as being unable to visit heritage and other national treasures during this glorious weather.

So we now need to resort to other means of connecting with each other and sharing our thoughts about the arts and the pleasure it brings us. I expect you have received The Arts Society Monthly Highlights for April. This arrived by email on Tuesday and it is packed with interesting ways for members to connect and share arts related issues. It reveals a new community website called The Arts Society CONNECTED. I strongly recommend you take time to access some of the things it contains put together by head office. For example, I have just watched on my computer and Smartphone a fascinating talk by Dr Jacqueline Cockburn on Las Meninas by Velazquez, a talk she was going to give at the AGM at Malaga. This is one of a series of films by accredited lecturers to be held over the next few weeks. You can check out Instagram posts on many artists and art forms, and even enjoy instant E-lectures. If you want to know five top facts on Andy Warhol then this is the way to find out!

Now, let me be honest, I am not good at accessing and using social media which is so much a part of people’s lives these days but I did find the wide range of activities on the CONNECTED website relatively easy to manage. I hope you do even if there is some trial and error!

Following the cancellation of the April, May and June lectures, and the Study Day and outings to the National Gallery and to Restoration House at Rochester, the committee has been hard at work to ensure that we are well positioned once the restrictions are over to continue where we left off in March. Jac Dunay, our Programme Secretary, has re-arranged for the lecturers to return in our 2021/22 series and also Andy McConnell to run a Study Day on “5,000 Years of Glass” in the Spring next year. We are immensely grateful to Jac and also the lecturers for their flexibility. The committee was very aware these abrupt cancellations could cause some hardship and following a suggestion by Sandra, our Secretary, it was agreed that we should make a gesture of goodwill to each of the three lecturers by offering a sum of money to be paid now and recouped in due course from their invoice when they deliver their respective lectures. All three when contacted expressed their appreciation, two taking up the offer and the other declining but grateful for the gesture.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit us there had been considerable unease in societies following an unexpected announcement by the AS Trustees that Church Recording would no longer receive head office support on the grounds, somewhat spurious to many minds, that there is no public charitable benefit in its continuance. The response was one of disbelief that without consultation an important plank of AS society activity has been removed and left many involved in current projects, including our own at St. Nicholas, Sholden, uncertain whether or not to continue with local support. In the same announcement it was learned that the term Young Arts is to be replaced by Arts Volunteering. It may seem innocuous enough but it removes the emphasis on support specifically for young people between the ages of 16-24 years. As you know Mike (Judd) works tirelessly to engage schools, colleges, school children, art galleries and the like to be involved and to support young people interested in the arts, drama, sculpture, music and much more. Unfortunately, the decision is not for turning. Your committee will continue its support of young people and also look at the wider aspects of Arts Volunteering.

I join the committee to wish everyone in the Dover Deal and Sandwich society a blessed Easter, and hope that you keep safe and well in these most difficult of times when social contact which is part of the raison d’etre of AS is not easy to pursue. Do please let us know if members are suffering from the virus so we can do whatever is possible to show our support.

Thank you.

Chris

Chairman

07923 174883 (mobile)

01304 368324 (home)

A new website  has been set up by HQ which offers a great deal of information.  By accessing it, you can watch lectures given by accredited speakers on their specialist topics.  It really is worth looking at and exploring and the talks could provide a stimulating substitute for our monthly lectures during these strange times of lockdown

The website address is: https://www.connected.theartssociety.org