Appledore Arts Festival a Feast for the Eyes

APPLEDORE VISUAL ARTS FESTIVAL – EARTH

‘Earth’ is the theme for this year’s Appledore Visual Arts Festival (Thursday May 29th – Sunday June 1st). The Festival will be a contemporary celebration of how we are all inspired and affected by our relationship with the Earth. This was the first annual Visual Arts Festival of its kind in the UK and today the event has a reputation as one of the broadest ranging events of its type. Visitors are offered a unique opportunity to interact with artists as they take part in a wide range of residencies, demonstrations, workshops, talks and art-creation events.

Satish Kumar, Director of Resurgence states that “The Earth has inspired great art for centuries. It is a wonderful, natural muse. As the earth inspires us, so too must we be inspired to preserve and protect it. It is great news that the Festival has chosen Earth as its theme for 2008, we are particularly delighted to be associated with this year’s events.”

Events include an extensive programme of workshops. Adults, children and families can sign up to take part in a multitude of Advance Booking workshops including; film animation, a play-in-a-day and life drawing. During the Festival there will be many free Drop-In workshops, where whole families can join in and create a giant scrap planet, experiment painting with natural earth pigments, or help the National Trust build a dry stone wall !.

Participating artists include several internationally renowned artists who are inspired by Devon’s beautiful and elemental landscape. Peter Randall-Page will be present, talking about Granite Song, a collaborative project with the photographer Chris Chapman which celebrates their local mid-Devon landscape.

An associate of Peter, stone sculptor David Brampton-Greene will be carving stone on site. David worked extensively on the Seed, Peter’s massive sculpture now installed at the Eden Project.

Well known cob artists, Jill Abey and Jackie Smallcombe will be creating a curvaceous wall sculpture. They will be working with earth and its multitude of colours including reds, yellows, ochres, and browns. If you come you will be able to join in and work alongside them !.

Svend Bayer, an internationally known potter will also be present. He works with clay, another material taken directly from the earth. By combining his practical skills and artistic abilities he creates beautiful big full-bellied pots.

During a two day residency the highly respected artist, Christopher Cook will experiment with unorthodox combinations of media. With aluminium as his canvas, he will explore ideas for new work using oil pigments mixed with resin, graphite and a medium new to him, Bideford Black.

Arts Council – Press Release February 27th 2008 - Bideford Black is a rare pigment found in an underground seam running through North Devon. To celebrate and explore this pigment, the popular landscape painter Paul Lewin, will run a two day Masterclass where participants will have the unique opportunity to work directly with this unusual pigment which was once used as eye liner !.

Dance in Devon and Appledore Arts have teamed up to create an interesting new project. Gill Bliss a visual artist and dancers from YoYo Triptych will collaborate to create new work. Festival visitors will be able to join in and enjoy the opportunity to work alongside dancers as they explore movement inspired by the theme of ‘Earth, Art and Spirit’.

Alongside all these inspiring artists and workshops we will be screening a programme of Film Shorts. Categories include films from young people, films about the theme of ‘Earth’ as well as a wide ranging open category. During 2007 Appledore Arts managed the production of a highly acclaimed film based oral history project on Appledore’s fascinating maritime history, this will also be screened during the Festival.

The Festival also offers visitors the opportunity to explore this unique and historic village. There will be Open Gardens, Decorated Doorknockers and for the first time an Artists Trail where selected artists will display and sell their work in the homes of Appledore residents.

To celebrate the end of the Festival, there will be a grand finale on Sunday afternoon. African dancers, accompanied by Energia Samba Band and carnival art created during the Festival will parade through the picturesque and winding streets of Appledore.

Appledore is a beautiful estuary town with a maze of narrow winding streets and expansive views across the estuary of the Torridge and Taw rivers. All over the town events will be happening so come along, get creative and enjoy the fun of the Festival. There will also be live music, Craft Stalls with high quality art work for sale and lots, lots more. See you there !.

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1. Our Advance Booking Leaflet lists workshops for children and adults which is now. A PDF version of the leaflet will also be downloadable from our website from March 1st onwards.

2. Our Festival Programme which lists all events and venues will be available from March 21st onwards.

3. To receive a copy of either our Advance Booking Leaflet or Festival Programme please e-mail or call Appledore Arts. Please contact us on 07900 212747, [email protected] or visit our website www.appledorearts.org.

4. For details on how to contact any of the artists involved in this years Festival please contact Fiona Fraser-Smith, Project Manager for Appledore Arts in the first instance.

5. Additional photographs can also be provided on request.

For press information please contact: Fiona Fraser-Smith • 07900 212747 • [email protected]

Arts Council – Press Release February 27th 2008 -