Rye Arts Festival September 12th – September 27th 2009
 
July sees the launch of the 38th Rye Arts Festival. This year the programme is so packed we have had to add extra pages to the programme!
For two weeks beginning with the London Mozart Players to the Sacconi & Navarra Quartets joining forces on the final day, Rye will be bursting at the seams with Music of all kinds, Comedy, fascinating speakers, and a feast of Visual Arts events. Children will be catered for, too with their own mini festival.
Could there be a better destination for a short-break than Rye this September? If you are a music lover, you are truly spoiled. Mozart, Janacek, Poulenc, Elgar, Britten, Shostakovich, Purcell, Handel, Bach. You can hear them all here. World Music? We have that, too with the Justin Adams Trio. Irish Folk? Check out the amazing Grada. And if your feet are in tapping mood we’ve also got the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra. Need a laugh to put the Credit Crunch out of mind? The legendary Barry Cryer is bringing his one-man show supported on piano by Colin Sell. Earlier in the week and for one night only, a star of the Edinburgh Comedy Festival comes to town; Wilson Dixon who will have you weeping (with laughter) at his country and western songs with a (comic!) difference. Remember the Bonzo Dog Band? ‘3 Bonzos and a Piano’ will bring back happy memories for those of a certain age. And what a line up of speakers! Edward Stourton, Stanley Johnson (father of the less-well known Boris), Margaret Drabble, A. S. Byatt, Alan Titchmarsh, Lord Owen and others. We are running our usual Romney Marsh Churches Tour – book as soon as you can, it always sells out - and our Winchelsea Cellars Tours (Ditto!) Rye and the surrounding area is famous for its artists; in fact walk down any street in Rye and you will bump into a painter (they never look where they’re going). One of the UK’s top illustrators, Dave McKean will be giving a talk as will the Guardian’s scourge of politicians Steve Bell and you’ll be able to follow the Rye Art Trail, tracking down artists’ work displayed in the town’s shop windows. Expert Peter Khoroche will be speaking on the brilliant painter Ivon Hitchens; two of his paintings rarely on display will be on show in the Stormont Studio. Children from Rye College will be presenting a show based on Hilaire Belloc’s verse and stories and for the little ones at the primary school, Robin Williamson (also performing in concert) will be telling them some of his fabulous tales. Yes, between 12th and the 28th September we expect that our resident Herring Gulls (how we love them!) will for once be outnumbered by that other species both native and migrant; culture vultures!

Why not come and discover the Biggest Little Festival in England for yourself.

Becoming a Friend of the Rye Arts Festival
If you would like to make an important and much appreciated contribution towards the success of the Festival join us as a Friend and benefit from priority booking, discounts and much more . . . to become a Friend download an Application Form and return to us.

To read about last year's festival click here