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Sussex Network Festival of Arts & Craft, 31st July 2010
An impressive showcase of Art, Craft and Performance by the 33 Sussex U3As was given at their SUN Festival on 31st. July which was held at Oakmeeds Community College, Burgess Hill.
The aim of the Festival was to show the breadth and quality of the activities in the art, craft and performing learning groups operating in individual U3As across Sussex. This aim was certainly achieved.
There was some wonderful work on display, and whilst the performances were of course amateur ones, they were performed and well received with near professional standards being achieved by the choirs. All but 2 or 3 of the smallest U3As in Sussex contributed exhibits or performances to the Festival.
This was a large scale event with exhibits in 11 classrooms, plus 2 wide ranging programmes of the performing arts in the college hall and drama studio. There was also a 'drop in and tell a story or recite a poem' event running in 1 of the classrooms. Even some language groups managed to 'get in on the act' by reciting foreign language poems or singing songs.
We estimate that a total of between 1000 and 1200 people attended including Mayors and Chairs of Borough and District Councils as well as U3A members and members of the general public.
Was it worth all the effort that went into organising it - yes, most definitely-it was a creditable example of what can be achieved when U3As collaborate.
Edna Wright (Vice Chair), Chris Senior (Chair), Nova Brookes (Vice Chair & Chairman of the Festival Committee)
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Sussex Network Festival of Arts & Craft, 19th July 2008
On Saturday 19 July the Sussex Network of U3As (SURA) held its first arts & craft festival for East & West Sussex in Oakmeeds Community College, Burgess Hill to celebrate the creativity and enthusiasm of its 9,000 members in Sussex. 25 out of its 31 U3As from Rye in the East to Midhurst in the West participated.
Over 1,000 people attended the festival which had demonstrations of the performing arts, including music, dancing, theatre, and poetry reading in two halls simultaneously. There were also displays of creative writing, painting, photography, poetry, card making, needlecraft, woodcarving and family history and working demonstrations of craft in the adjoining teaching block.
The festival was organised by Nova Brookes from Arun U3A. The chairmen or vice chairmen of five borough and district councils across Sussex attended the event. Success should not be measured only in terms of attendance of course, all contributors and visitors found the experience joyful and exhilarating, with many promising to keep in touch with interest groups from other U3As.
Visitors were impressed by the standard of the performance and of the works exhibited. Even the catering was exceptional. Shirley Meakins and her team from Burgess Hill U3A managed to produce an interesting range of sandwiches and drinks for about half of the attendees without excessive queuing or delays.
One of our VIP guests Cllr Chantal Wilson, Chair of Wealden District Council, East Sussex remarked that she was amazed and fascinated by the range of skills of U3A members and that it was an eye-opener for her and that she had no idea so many people were involved across Sussex, nor how many individual U3As or interest groups exist. Everyone was left in no doubt that that there is life after 60.
Click on any picture below to see a slide show of the day
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