There’s lots going on this month, from Artists’ Open Houses in Brighton and a magical lantern trail at Wakehurst to an evening with Strictly stars in Crawley
ART
21 November-13 December
Venues across Brighton and Hove
When the May AOH festival had to be postponed, organisers of this much-loved citywide event decided to amalgamate it with the Christmas Artists’ Open Houses into one extended four-week extravaganza.
This is a great way to get some of your Christmas shopping done while supporting local creatives: there will be a whole range of artworks, ceramics, jewellery, prints, photography and a whole host of unusual Christmas presents, cards and other gifts.
Alongside the main Artists’ Open Houses festival will be a new Virtual Open Houses strand, which will include virtual tours of artists’ houses and studios and online galleries.
Until 15 November
Drawn to Nature: Gilbert White and the Artists
Pallant House, Chichester
Since its publication over 200 years ago Gilbert White’s The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne has inspired generations of naturalists, writers and artists. It was an immediate success upon its publication in 1789 and has never been out of print. It has over 300 editions, many of which were illustrated by an array of exceptional artists.
This exhibition reveals the many different visions of Selborne and its wildlife inspired by White’s writings, created by artists such as Thomas Bewick, Eric Ravilious, John Nash and Gertrude Hermes. It includes original prints, blocks and the First Edition illustrated by Samuel Hieronymous Grimm.
Tickets: adults £12.50, under-18s free
pallant.org.uk
Until 10 January 2021
Towner, Eastbourne
This new biennial exhibition of contemporary art features 24 artists selected by an esteemed panel after responding to an open call. The Brewers Award of £10,000, sponsored by Brewers Decorator Centres, will be awarded to one of the exhibiting artists along with mentoring from the Towner team. Artists include: Adam Chodzko, Ailbhe Ní Bhriain, Alexi Marshall, Arpita Shah, Ayo Akingbade, Benedict Drew, Carla Wright, Ian Land, Jack Shearing, Joe Packer, Jonathan Baldock, Julia Crabtree and William Evans, Maeve Brennan, Marianne Fahmy, Mohammed Sami, Mu-Tien Tammy Ho, Omar Vega Macotela, Paul Becker, Rita Evans, Ryan Orme, Saskia Olde Wolbers, Sherko Abbas, Stuart Middleton.
Tickets: free
Until June 2021
Rock ‘n’ Roll with Me: Bowie MacCormack 1973-76
Brighton Museum
An evocative exhibition of intimate photographs taken by David Bowie by his close friend Geoff MacCormack, who toured with him in the Seventies. It covers Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane periods and the ground-breaking Diamond Dogs tour as well as filming of The Man Who Fell to Earth and the recording of Station to Station.
Tickets: TBC
Until 7 January 2021
Ron Arad 69 Newlands House Gallery
Ron Arad’s work has been featured in dozens of prestigious public collections and has been widely exhibited in record-breaking shows, including at the MoMA (NYC), the V&A (London) and the Centre Pompidou (Paris). This major retrospective of the pioneering artist, architect and industrial designer’s work is the gallery’s first exhibition devoted to design. It will include pieces from the 1980s and 1990s alongside more recent works, including unseen releases for 2020 presented against the backdrop of the gallery’s Georgian townhouse setting.
Admission: £12.50
19 September-16 May 2021
Art, Life and Us: Christine Binnie, Jennifer Binnie and the Towner Collection
Towner, Eastbourne
Christine Binnie and Jennifer Binnie have a long-standing connection with the Eastbourne area and grew up in Wannock, attending Eastbourne College of Art and Design which firmly established their identities as artists.
Along with Wilma Johnson, the sisters are founding members of The Neo Naturists, a performance art collective which evolved in the early 1980s in London. This exhibition will feature their own work alongside their collections from the gallery’s collection to guide the visitor through a journey exploring themes of nature, the body, meaning and the cycles of life.
Free entry
Opens 30 October
Moncrieff-Bray Gallery, near Petworth
This seasonal show will have a strong emphasis on sculpture with works by leading British contemporary sculptors arranged in the sculpture garden. Paintings will include works produced specially for the gallery by amongst others David Humphreys, Oona Campbell, Vivienne Williams, Anthony Garratt, Rosie Copeland and some early works by last month’s Sussex Life interviewee John Hitchens.
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MUSIC AND COMEDY
1 November
Celebrating Sondheim: Sunday in the Park with Daniel
Chichester Festival Theatre
Following the huge success of Concert in the Park, CFT Artistic Director Daniel Evans hosts another dazzling cornucopia of music and song to celebrate musical legend Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday. He will be joined on the Festival Theatre stage by stars from the West End to perform numbers from some of Sondheim’s major and lesser-known works. Performers will include Gabrielle Brooks, Clive Rowe and Jenna Russell.
Proceeds from this fundraising concert will support Chichester Festival Theatre’s work with vulnerable young people.
Tickets from £10
6 and 7 November
An Evening with Kevin and Joanne Clifton
The Hawth, Crawley
Join Strictly Come Dancing Champion siblings Kevin and Joanne Clifton for an intimate show produced for a socially distanced audience. The pair will sing songs from their CD, tell stories of their dancing lives and perform some of your favourite ballroom and Latin dances with their professional dance partners.
This production is suitable for a socially distanced audience and is being created and toured with the audience, theatre staff, cast and crew’s safety at the forefront.
Tickets: £35
17 November
Rich Hall, Suzi Ruffell, Andrew Ryan
Chichester Festival Theatre
Renowned for his expertly crafted tirades and quick-fire banter with audiences, the award-winning Montana native Rich Hall returns to Chichester. The working-class comedian of her generation, Suzi Ruffell has had five sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival, racking up critical acclaim. Acting as MC is Andrew Ryan, one of the most in-demand acts on the UK comedy circuit.
Tickets: from £10
20 November
Pavilion Theatre, Worthing
Multi award-winning comedian, presenter, actor, author and scriptwriter Russell Kane is best known for the BBC Sounds podcast, Evil Genius although he was also the first comedian to win both the Edinburgh Award and Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Barry Award in one year. His many TV appearances include The Apprentice You’re Fired, Antiques Roadtrip, Live at The Apollo, Celebrity Juice and I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here Now.
Following the success of his sell-out tour The Fast and The Curious throughout UK and Ireland, Russell has extended it far into 2020.
Tickets: TBC
1-21 November
Glyndebourne
True love conquers all in a colourful fairy tale that pits the forces of darkness against truth, goodness and light.
Prince Tamino is on a quest: to rescue the beautiful Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night, who has been kidnapped by her father Sarastro. But is all really as it seems? With the help of bird-catcher Papageno, Tamino must brave not only dragons and the forces of darkness but trials of fire and water if he is to arrive at the truth and gain Pamina as his wife. This 90-minute abridged staged concert of The Magic Flute will be performed in English and is directed by Donna Stirrup.
Tickets: £40-60.
OUT AND ABOUT
31 October-1 November 2020
Bluebell Railway On and Off the Rails
Sheffield Park Station
Book on a special service of The Pioneer and transport yourself to a bygone era when railway stations were a hub for the transportation of goods on and off the rails.
Your journey begins at Sheffield Park and the special timetable for these weekends gives you time to get off at Kingscote Station and Horsted Keynes Station to visit the displays and return again in the same private compartment. There will be a team-hauled goods train, shunting displays and vintage vehicles on display at the stations.
Trains depart from Sheffield Park Station at 10am, 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm. Third class compartment £75, first class compartment £115.
3 November Half-day bird safari with Sussex Wildlife Trust
Chidham, Chichester Harbour
A circular walk around the Chidham Peninsula looking across the harbour as waders and wildfowl begin gathering for winter. The walk covers a variety of habitats, hedgerows, small copses, mudflats and farmland which can provide a wide variety of species. There is a chance of a lingering osprey, a late wheatear or two, and it is a good place for wintering greenshank and spotted redshank.
These courses are popular. If they are fully booked please request to be placed on the waiting list as SWT may run more
Tickets: £16 members, £23 non-members
21 November-23 December
Drusillas, Alfriston
Experience winter magic first-hand as you bring your little ones to visit Santa Claus in his cosy Christmas Cottage, meet the lovable husky dogs in their ice cave, sample some festive food and drink and marvel at the giant Christmas tree.
Tickets: TBC
26 November-30 December
Wakehurst
Now in its seventh year, this enchanting lantern trail brings the gardens to life with glowing lanterns, mesmerising projections, immersive soundscapes, and flaming torches.
Marvel at the UK’s tallest living Christmas tree decorated with 1,800 lights and join in a celebration of the hidden heroes of the plant and fungal world, from a grain of pollen or fungus spore to a seed on the wind. One of the key events in Sussex’s Christmas calendar.
Family ticket £46, adult £15, children four-16 £9, under-fours free
