Newhaven Festival

The Newhaven Festival returns for its fifth year with a diverse lineup of events during September

With a thriving creative community and support from the Town Council, Creative Newhaven, and Newhaven Enterprise Zone, this year’s festival offers something for everyone.

At the Hillcrest Centre, leading art critic and TV presenter Andrew Graham-Dixon gives a timely and topical talk reflecting on the ways in which art has been shaped by social crisis and upheaval.

More mid-life crisis than social crisis, Miss Hope Springs, the hilarious piano-playing comedy, cabaret, and chanteuse opens her somewhat battered suitcase of dreams to share musical mementos from her Ritz to the pits life. Budding marine biologists can explore the underwater world just beyond the harbour at The Living Coast Undersea Experience. Discover the Marine Conservation Zone that runs from Brighton Marina to Beachy Head through a 360-degree interactive VR experience.

Drop into St Michael’s Church for a collaborative and fun drawing session with artist Johnsey, or join eco-poet Kin’d & Kin’d for a workshop upstairs at the RNLI building. Bring your memories of Newhaven and Sussex dialect words and become part of Re-wilding the Word-hoard, with sculptor Jo Sweeting, writer Louisa Thomsen Brits, and filmmaker Jane Mote. Join local storyteller Jamie Crawford on a guided walk around Newhaven’s un-explored edgelands, or the well-named urban tree expert Paul Wood for an entertaining and enlightening tour of Newhaven’s urban forest.

Dirty Footprints bring free kids’ theatre to Newhaven Library, Salon 69 returns with six short talks followed by supper, and there’s a free afternoon of music at the Denton Island Bandstand, plus an alfresco revival of songs and shanties from the Tidemills Community Choir on the beach.

Add to that the 16 venues on the Artwave Haven Trail, a new contemporary art gallery on the Highstreet, and the new monthly Newhaven Flea Market at Hillcrest, and there’s a whole load of stuff to do in Newhaven this September.

OPEN DAY 2022

10TH & 11TH SEPT

9.30 - 4.30

LONG AND SHORT COURSES IN FINE FURNITURE AND WOODWORKING

Showcasing contemporary Furniture design

ROBINSON HOUSE STUDIO UNIT E1 & E2 EASTSIDE BUSINESS PARK BEACH ROAD NEWHAVEN

Check newhavenfestival.co.uk for the full lineup and ticket availability.

Photos from top: Doorstep Duets by New Adventures Dance Company on Newhaven’s West Quay; Andrew Graham Dixon gives a talk on Art & Social Crisis at the Hillcrest Centre; Doorstep Duets by New Adventures Dance Company.