Thornbury Arts Festival - a visual treat

On

Monday the Box Office for the town's ever popular Arts Festival opened it's

doors in our appropriately decorated Town Hall. This year's headline act may

not have had the huge publicity of  'Strictly Come Dancing' in the run up

to the festival as John Sergeant did last year, but still well over half the

tickets to see the very popular news broadcaster and foreign correspondent

George Alagiah were sold through postal bookings prior to the opening of the

box office. His talk, 'Food for thought', 'kickstarts’ this years festival on

the 23rd April at the Armstrong Hall.

 The festival is ,of course, not just about

talks and performances but covers fringe and community events, events by

schools and not forgetting the exhibitions around town with the opportunity to

see many well regarded local artists quite literally 'in residence'. When you

visit the town centre during the festival you’ll find a visual treat in shop

windows and businesses as many will be displaying examples of work by local

artists as well as an exhibition by local schoolchildren in St Mary’s shopping

centre. Don’t forget to stroll down our historic Castle Street to see the group exhibition

at The Hatch Camphill Community, a lovely venue, and take in the view over

Daggs Allotments on the way to another group display at Thornbury Golf Centre. More

exhibitions will be held further afield at Old Down Country Park and Pound Barn, Wickwar with

artists in residence in outlying villages also taking part. There is also a

touring exhibition by the influential artist Michael Craig Martin at the

Octagon theatre. The Showcase Exhibition for the Art Trail will place at the Town

Hall starting on 22nd April. (Details at www.thornburyartsfestival

and the Town Hall.)

 

It’s

worth remembering that the ‘The Octagon’ is one of Thornbury’s ‘little gems’.

Located at The Castle school the visual arts centre offers exhibitions not only

at ‘festival time’ but throughout the year. Many exhibitors work as artists in

residence alongside students as well as giving demonstrations to the schools

popular ‘art in the community’ workshops.

 

Lets

hope the good weather continues for the festival, not least of all for those

outdoor events. The Sheiling school’s garden walk and talk  should be something of a revelation to those

who have never visited before. The grounds of the school have to be one of the

most beautiful locations in the town.