Our guide to the best events in and around Sussex this June.
ART
A Japanese Wave in Sussex - 26 May-3 September
Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, Bohemia Road, Hastings
This exhibition of the colour woodcuts of Eric Slater and Arthur Rigden Read shows how two Sussex artists mastered Japanese printmaking techniques to evoke life in the county between the wars, gaining international recognition as a result.
Firle Antiques Fair - 2-4 June
Open daily 10.30am-5pm. Held in Firle Place’s 18th century Riding School, with approximately thirty five exhibitors. There will be a balanced selection of antiques, fine art and a few contemporary pieces, spanning the past 300 – 400 years.
Quentin Blake: The Only Way to Travel - 14 June-15 October
Jerwood Gallery, Hastings
We think we know the work of Sir Quentin Blake, but Jerwood Gallery’s new show will certainly challenge that. Invited by gallery director Liz Gilmore to explore themes that concern him, Sir Quentin’s new exhibition at the Jerwood Gallery reveals his thoughts on mental health, the squeezing of creativity and the refugee crisis. The resultant pictures are often serious but, in typical Blake fashion, are far from gloomy.
The Only Way To Travel is the 84-year-old artist’s biggest ever UK show and brings together 100 pieces to Jerwood Gallery’s ground floor. It features clusters of new works inspired by the breadth of this exhibition’s brief.
Chichester Art Society - 20 June-2 July
70th Exhibition, Oxmarket Centre of Arts, Chichester
More than 80 artists will be exhibiting some 250 pieces of work in different artistic media. The 70th exhibition will feature paintings, glasswork and sculptures and is part of the Festival of Chichester 2017.
Walking on Water - 22 June-16 July
Modern Art Exhibition, Methodist and United Reformed Churches, Haywards Heath
Visit Haywards Heath to see 48 world-class modern artworks on show, including those by artists such as Graham Sutherland, Elisabeth Frink, Edward Burra and Maggi Hambling. Free entry to the public. Featuring a busy programme of talks, concerts and workshops during the exhibition.
MUSIC AND THEATRE
Frant Summer Guitar Festival
Frant Church, High Street, Frant
2 June: London-based virtuoso guitarists the Alexander/Robinson Duo presents music from the repertoire of Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, Tom Jobim, Pat Metheny and more. Tickets: £15.
30 June: John Williams, John Etheridge, Gary Ryan. Tickets: £20.
1 July: The Remi Harris Trio. Tickets: £14.
All concerts 8pm. Tickets from Frant Stores, Britten’s Music, Tunbridge Wells.
Rick Wakeman - 3 June
De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill
7pm. Currently celebrating his 50th year as a professional musician, keyboard player, songwriter and broadcaster, Rick Wakeman recently made chart history when his Piano Portraits became the first solo piano album to enter the UK’s Top 10.
The show includes at least eight of the pieces on the album, plus other musical surprises, and will be interspersed with hilarious anecdotes from this well-known and accomplished raconteur. Tickets £25.
Dinara Klinton Interview Concert - 4 June
St Paul’s Arts Centre, Chapel Road, Worthing
2.45pm. Dinara Klinton is an international concert pianist and multi award-winner.
She’ll play Vision and Eroica from Transcendental Studies, the Bach-Busoni Prelude and Fugue in D BWV 532, Medtner’s Sonata Romantica, and Beethoven’s great Moonlight Sonata.
Audience ‘in the round’ means an unmatchable, up-close connective concert and social experience on The Interview Concerts’ debut at St Paul’s with the opportunity to ask questions. Drinks and refreshments available.
Kraftwerk 3-D - 7 June
The Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton
7.45pm. Kraftwerk’s compositions, using innovative techniques, synthetic voices and computerised rhythms, have had a major international influence across an entire range of music genres: from electro to hip hop, from techno to synthpop. In their live performances, Kraftwerk (Ralf Hütter, Henning Schmitz, Fritz Hilpert and Falk Grieffenhagen) illustrate their belief in the respective contributions of both man and machine.
Refrain - 9-11 June
Newhaven Fort, Fort Road, Newhaven
Situations and Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts present Refrain. Visitors can experience Newhaven Fort as never before, through a new immersive, choral experience devised by composer and artist Verity Standen. Refrain explores the stories of conscientious objection with a professional ensemble and local male singers. Times vary. For more information and tickets visit the website.
The Country Girls - 9 June-8 July
Minerva Theatre, Chichester
The 1950s. Rural Ireland. Kate and Baba are best friends who long to escape their traditional families and convent school. When they finally rebel and make a break for it, their lives burst open.
As they forge new identities in Dublin, the childhood friends must discover if it is possible to grow up without growing apart. Tickets from £20.
Anastacia - 11 June
The Dome, Brighton
7.30pm. Pop legend Anastacia plus guest Chloe Reynolds end their UK tour with a performance at Brighton Dome. Tickets: £40, £52.50.
Teddy Bears’ Picnic - 11 June
The Hawth, Crawley
11am and 1pm. Let’s All Dance is back with this delightful treat for very young audiences. Combining classical ballet, physical theatre, gorgeous visuals and crystal-clear story telling, this fresh, innovative dance company pitches another production perfectly to engage and enthral all children, including those with special needs. Little ones can bring their own teddy, clap along and have their photo taken with the dancers. Suitable for all, especially babies to five years. Tickets: £8.50.
www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/The-Hawth
Summer of Circus - 16 June-27 August
Worthing Theatres
Now recognised as one of the three largest contemporary circus festivals in the UK, the new programme for this year promises thrills for the whole family through a myriad of live performances and workshops.
www.worthingtheatres.co.uk/circus
Festival of Chichester - 17 June-16 July
The Festival of Chichester is now one of the biggest arts festivals in the south and features a varied line-up of more than 200 events around Chichester.
Highlights include Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Georgie Fame, Martin Carthy, Dame Patricia Routledge, Tony Christie, Alan Barnes, Emily Dankworth, Hanover Band, Minerva Ensemble, poet and artist Frieda Hughes, authors Lisa Hilton and Peter Robinson, former Stranglers’ frontman Hugh Cornwell, S Club, Gordon Giltrap and international pianists Victor Ryabchikov, Patrick Hemmerle and Karine Selo.
www.thenovium.org/boxoffice | www.festivalofchichester.co.uk
Open Air Cinema - 23 June-25 June
Lewes Castle
Come and watch your film favourites under the stars this June in the gorgeous setting of the Gun Garden at Lewes Castle. The Picturehouse Popup Cinema has three outdoor screenings lined up. This year’s films are six-time Academy Award-winning musical La La Land, Wes Anderson’s critically acclaimed comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel and 1980s classic The Princess Bride.
One Man, Two Guvnors - 29 June-22 July
Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne
7.45pm. Brighton, 1963. Skiffle bands, East End gangsters, an 87-year-old waiter with balance problems and one man with two needy bosses are set on a collision course in this frenetic comedy.
Based on the classic Italian comedy The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni and adapted by prize-winning playwright Richard Bean, with original songs and music by Grant Olding. Wednesday and Thursday matinees 2.30pm. Tickets: £19-£26.50.
OUT AND ABOUT
Three Friday Nights - 2, 9 and 16 June
Goodwood Racecourse, near Chichester
A unique combination of racing, music and dancing to create a truly unforgettable experience. Evening racing is followed by a full set from a world-famous DJ and a spectacular laser show. This year Tinie Tempah and DJ Charlesy (2 June), Pete Tong (9 June) and Sigma (16 June) will take to the famous parade ring decks.
South of England Show - 8-10 June
South of England Showground, Ardingly
Celebrating its 50th birthday this year, at the South of England Show you can enjoy the very best of the British countryside, food and drink and outdoor entertainment for the whole family.
Featuring stunning displays of the best of British agriculture; equestrianism, countryside learning; horticulture and forestry. There’s also great music, delicious food and drink and superb shopping.
National Ladies’ Shooting Day - 10 June
Southdown Gun Club, Findon
Ladies in Sussex are invited to take part in the world’s largest all-women clay shooting event. Organised by the Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club, this is a highly fun and inclusive day featuring 29 simultaneous clay pigeon shooting events across the UK, which sees more than 1,500 women taking part.
The full day event costs £42 and includes coaching, gun hire, cartridges, clays, ear and eye protection.
www.shotgunandchelseabunclub.co.uk
Father’s Day with the National Trust - 18 June
Bodiam Castle armour testing
11am to 4pm: A chance for dads to visit the armour room and try on some of the large collection of helmets and breastplates. Free event, normal admission applies.
Sheffield Park and Garden Father’s Day barbecue - 12.30pm-3.30pm: Celebrate Father’s Day by treating Dad to an afternoon barbeque lunch in the tea room.
Walk with the Sussex Wildlife Trust - 21 June
10am-12.30pm. Join Sussex Life’s wildlife columnist Michael Blencowe for a heathland walk at Sussex Wildlife Trust nature reserve Iping Common, two miles west of Midhurst. During the walk on entirely flat terrain, Michael will be explaining about the amazing animals which live in this rare habitat and hopefully pointing out a few interesting and sometimes overlooked species – look out for the silver spotted blue butterfly in June.
Meet at Iping Common car park off the A272 on the Elsted Road – grid ref: SU851220. No booking required – members of Sussex Wildlife Trust free of charge, non-members £3. On the day Michael can be contacted on 07827 830891.
www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk
Midsummer Magic Evening at Parham House & Gardens - 22 June
6.30pm - 9.30pm. Experience the magic of Parham’s Gardens as dusk descends to the sounds of live jazz music. Tickets are now on sale for this unique opportunity to stroll through the spectacular herbaceous borders in the four-acre 18th century Walled Garden. Admire the vegetable garden, the glasshouses full of tender plants and the adjoining Pleasure Grounds whilst sipping on a chilled glass of sparkling wine. Tickets cost £15 per person including a complimentary drink. Visit the website for more information or to book tickets.
www.parhaminsussex.co.uk/event/midsummer-magic-evening
The Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting - 22-25 June
All England Jumping Course, Hickstead
The Hickstead Derby was first held in 1961 and since then the class has barely altered. Every year, a brave band of riders try to conquer the famous course, including the Devil’s Dyke, the double of ditches, one of the widest open water jumps in the world and the iconic 10ft 6in slope of the Derby Bank.
Aegon Eastbourne International - 23 June-1 July
Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club, Eastbourne
This year, the men’s tennis re-joins the women’s for the first time in three years, with Eastbourne’s very own Johanna Konta returning to her hometown to play. Watch the action begin on Friday 23 June with free entry all day. Plus kids go free throughout the first weekend on Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 June.
www.lta.org.uk/major-events/aegon-international-eastbourne
Goodwood Festival of Speed - 29 June-2 July
Goodwood, Chichester
The theme for this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed is Peaks of Performance - Motorsport’s Game-Changers. The festival celebrates racing machines that were so fast, powerful, expensive or complicated that the rules had to be changed to rein them in. These are the high watermarks of motorsport, the cars and motorcycles that left an indelible mark on the history of the sport.
BEST OF THE REST
• 1 June: Living History Day, Arundel Castle, Arundel
• 1 and 25 June: Hello Kitty, Drusillas Park, Alfriston
• 3-4 June: The Floral Fringe Fair, Knepp Castle, Shipley, near Horsham
• 10-11 June: World Crazy Golf Championships, Hastings Adventure Golf, Hastings
• 19-25 June: Rose Celebration Week, Borde Hill Garden, Haywards Heath
• 24-25 June: Historic Gardens Weekend, Weald and Downland Museum, Singleton, Chichester
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