ABOUT US
THE LITTLE ARTS RUSHLAKE GREEN PROJECT
This community enterprise, based in and around Rushlake Green exists to encourage, support and promote local involvement in all aspects of the arts. It aims to provide a platform for everyone involved in any arts activity locally, and it is particularly focused on those getting into the arts - be they young students or anyone starting, or hoping to start, getting actively involved in arts activities. If you are a visual artist, musician, writer, singer-songwriter, theatre maker, animator, film maker, musical group of any genre from early music to rock and rap, radio creator, craft maker or conceptual artist and have not already make contact with us please email: littleartsrushlakegreen@gmail.com
Here's our story so far:
THE 2016 LITTLE ARTS FESTIVAL
The 2016 Little Arts Festival was the brainchild of the late Chris Liddiard who was a much loved and hugely talented local artist, musician and song writer. The idea was simple but quite challenging for a small community like ours to make happen: “why don’t we get everyone together to create a little festival where all these amazing people can work together to create something special that the whole community can enjoy and in many cases take part in.”
A small group of volunteers was assembled to start work on planning the festival, gaining commitments from the arts groups involved and engaging the support of everyone interested in the arts, within the local communities around Rushlake Green. Some 18 months later the festival came to fruition, with a programme of 20 arts events, involving more than 100 participants, over a 10 day period, attracting attendees from far and wide. And only possible because of the people from across the community who supported the project as Friends of Festival, Sponsors and Volunteers.
2024 LITTLE ARTS FESTIVAL
The 2nd full festival again featured more than 20 events involving some 130 participants covering Visual Arts, Craft, Live Music, Theatre, Literature, Poetry & Live Radio. Over 600 people attended events, with many more following the action online. The festival events, that ran over a period of 3 weeks in August 2024, included:
- Open Art Exhibition, open to any local artist of whatever level of experience
- Live gigs by: Nothing is Real, Taylor Made Band, Kusha Deep, Nigel Heron
- Performances by Pastores Ensemble, Sussex Harmony, Warbleton Brass Band, WarbleSingers
- History, music and art of Heathfield Park by Judith Tarling and Mayfield Consort
- Poetry Readings, Kids Acting Workshops and Murder Mystery performance by Rushlake Green Village Players
- Book sale and reader social event by members of local book clubs
- Storytelling and group music composition by Milton Hyde
- Art classes and craft workshops by Mark Austin, Kelly Wills, Sue Branch and Jazz Dixon
- Live online Radio Broadcasts and interviews by Dissociation Station
2024 PLANS FOR INTERMEDIATE EVENTS
Following the 2024 festival, the Little Arts team agreed two things going forward
1) Maximum 4 years between festivals
It was concluded, based on the experience of the projects to date, that the optimum period between festivals would be four years. It was agreed that 8 years between the first two festivals was too long and lost some of the momentum initially created.
2) Smaller scale ‘mini-festival’ every year to maintain momentum
The proposal emerged for an annual Long Weekend event, over 3-4 days, involving as many disciplines and local art groups and contributors as practicable. This idea solidified into the concept of a ‘Big Little Arts Weekend’, with the first event planned for August 2025 . . .
2025 BIG LITTLE ARTS WEEKEND
The 2025 Big Little Arts Weekend ran from 25th to 28th September 2025, with a programme that included Visual Arts, Live Music, Poetry, Story-telling and Literature. The sessions took place mainly in the Dunn Village Hall, Rushlake Green but also encompassed other local venues such as the Warbleton Parish Church.
For more details click here: 2025 Big Little Arts Weekend
2026 ARTS WEEKEND
Ideas are already being developed for the next main Little Arts Rushlake Green weekend event which is planned for Friday 4th to Sunday 6th September 2026