 Celebrating Surrey 2010 is Surrey’s first ever, open air arts festival - part of Surrey’s response to the 2012 Games and Cultural Olympiad programme. The event will bring together musicians, artists and performers of all kinds in a celebration of Surrey, its landscapes, heritage and cultures. NADFAS (National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies) is delighted to be in partnership with the Surrey Hills Society to showcase the diverse range of local arts and crafts, which have influenced the character and history of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The weekend will feature art-based opportunities for young people. Activities and displays within the NADFAS/Surrey Hills marquee will include the Watts Gallery - as well as workshops, the artist on the 'Hope Wall Project' will be giving demonstrations of her work as a ceramicist. Fire and Iron Gallery’s metalwork display celebrates one ironworking family’s journey “home” to Surrey; from ironfounder Peter Quinnell (1603-66) of Compton, near Loseley, via international adventure, full-circle back to Loseley 2010 and his descendant Lucy Quinnell of Fire and Iron. Creative Fibres will be using spinning wheel and spindle to demonstrate traditional crafts and show methods old and new of weaving and dyeing. There will be a display of their crafts, including braiding and beading, and an opportunity to have a go. The North Downs Lacemakers will be adding to their "Pass the Pillow" project - started in 2009, the aim is to get as many people as possible to participate in making this continuous piece of lace by the start of the London Olympics in 2012. Textile artist Karen Lucas, working with Surrey Heritage and local communities, will make a felted Time Line Scarf inspired by Loseley and stories of Surrey. Students from The Abbey School, Farnham will start the work in the Spring and members of the public are invited to make their own contribution over the weekend. Add to all this storytellers and Surrey Arts Wardrobe's collection of costumes from past times of folk from the Surrey countryside and there's something to appeal to everyone. Leading up to the Festival, young people aged 5 to 16 are invited to submit a photographic image celebrating the special nature of the Surrey Hills. Winners of each category will receive a computerised photoframe, a year's family membership of the Surrey Hills Society and a copy of Jane Garrett's beautifully illustrated book "A Portrait of the Surrey Hills". Full details of the competition are on the Nadfas
Celebrating the Surrey Hills Photographic Competition page.  |