Welcome to Arundel Festival 2024

Edward Norfolk

THE Arundel Festival of the Arts, now in its 46th year, continues to excite and engage the community and visitors alike. The Festival draws on local talent and beyond to deliver a diverse and comprehensive programme of music, drama and art. The ‘Arts’ radiate from every corner of this beautiful, historic town; from entertainers on the cobbled streets, classical and choral music in the gothic cathedral and churches, performances in ‘The Vic’ (and a variety of venues), exhibitions at the museum and WWT, and artwork on the walls in public houses and eateries.

Residents welcome you into their homes to experience the joy of the arts through the ever-popular Gallery Trail Open Houses which showcases artists and makers.

Here at the Castle, Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet is performed on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th August in the beautiful setting of the Collector Earl’s Garden with the opportunity to picnic in the grounds prior to the performance.

The stunning Earl’s Garden is the magical stage for our Illyria’s open air performance of Shakespeare’s timeless classic, Romeo and Juliet. These ‘star-crossed’ lovers with their tragic tale will make for an enchanting theatre experience under the night sky.
There is so much to discover in this extraordinary Festival in Arundel which we are immensely proud to share.

I hope you, your friends and family create some wonderful memories this summer enjoying the Arundel Festival of the Arts.

Tony Hunt

Mayor of Arundel
WELCOME to the 46th Arundel Festival. Just as our town is a very special place, our Festival is a very special event. It is a celebration of our community – during the Festival a large number of residents and groups will take part and will 
open their houses and iconic buildings for performances and exhibitions. And yet it combines the warmth of a community event with a very high degree of professionalism. There will be a remarkable spectrum of arts on offer, combined with events like ‘It’s a Knockout’ that are simply fun for people of all ages. If previous years are anything to go by, the Festival will also raise significant funds for charities.
The Arundel Festival has been through many changes in the last 46 years. This year is no exception. Visitors arriving at Arundel Station will have a much better first impression of our town through the hard work of the Green Team. Nature recovery and sustainability have become a major focus for Arundel. The 2024 Festival reflects this and will include a performance of ‘Out of the Deep Blue’, a work that is inspired by the themes of climate change and biodiversity, featuring a giant puppet. At the same time, the Town Council’s Environment working group is supporting the Festival’s drive to maximise recycling and ensure that sustainability is built into every stage of the event.

One thing that will not change is the chance to enjoy everything that the Festival will bring to the streets of Arundel. As usual, the challenge will be to fit in all the things you want to go to.

I wish you a great 2024 Festival!

Sharon Blaikie

Festival Director, Arundel Festival of the Arts
IN the grounds of the majestic Arundel Castle, the Fiesta style fundraiser in June ignited the passion for the Festival of the Arts as the community came together in support. This important event allows us to promote the Festival offering, secures vital sponsorship and funds which contribute to the summer programme. The event enabled another fundraiser for the local children’s charity, The Sussex Snowdrop Trust where English actor of stage and screen, Hugh Bonneville was in conversation in an evening entitled ‘Prancing around in tights!’ making for a fantastic duo of successful fundraising events over the weekend. Whilst Arundel Festival is a registered charity itself, we also provide a vital platform for other charities to raise much needed funds.

2024 sees an impressive 3 day Arundel Music Festival to be held earlier this year in July in Brooks Field through the kind permission of the Duke of Norfolk, featuring Murdoch’s Crazy Eyes, as well as local talent and Country, Americana, Folk, Bluegrass and Jazz. The August Festival of the Arts is like having the ultimate ‘pick and mix’ of music, drama and art to select from. For many, the arts include classical music, poetry and fine art - for others, it is the lure of ABBA, the duck race or dancing to local bands, that makes it your summer. Some love the chance to wander through open houses for the Gallery Trial to view artists and makers or immerse themselves in a variety of plays, set in diverse venues.

Staging the festival requires a mammoth effort - from logistics and health and safety; to volunteers. We are delighted that the ‘Arundel Wombles’ will be supporting Team Arundel throughout with our mission towards sustainability. On behalf of the Festival Committee, the Trustee Board and volunteers, we hope you embrace all this fabulous town has to offer and I thank all involved for their tremendous support in making this 46th Festival another memorable year.
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