A new contemporary art fair is coming to The Duchess Stand, Epsom Downs Racecourse, 6 – 8 October 2023.

Art Surrey opens on Friday 6th October with a Preview Evening and a complimentary glass of fizz from 6pm to 9pm and opens over the weekend on Saturday 7 October 10am-6pm and Sunday 8 October 10am-5pm.

This inaugural art fair, curated by Art Surrey and Ewell based Art Adviser and Gallery, Caiger Art, offers art lovers and collectors the chance to browse and purchase artworks from over 80 of the most exciting contemporary and traditional artists selling today, many of whom are Surrey based artists.

As final preparations get under way, Carol Caiger, Director of Art Surrey, is understandably very excited about this new Epsom venture, “Being one of the largest art fairs within the south east of England, this new contemporary art fair will the perfect place to find artwork to start your art collection, or add to your collection if you are already an art enthusiast!”

There will be over 3000 works of art to see, paintings, drawings, prints, digital art, mixed media art, photography, sculpture, glassworks and ceramics. With all artwork ranging from £50 to over £3000, there will be something for everyone.

This year the invited showcase is Surrey Sculpture Society, who will be showing a selection of their artists sculptures for sale.

Carol Caiger adds, “The bonus is, as well as awesome artwork, the Caiger Art and Art Surrey Team are on hand to give expert advice on the best artwork to buy for your home, too.”

Weekend facilities include a bar and café serving teas, coffee and food throughout Saturday and Sunday, so you can easily spend a whole day there! The venue has ample onsite parking and is wheelchair accessible.

You can have see the limited edition art fair brochure here: https://artsurrey.co.uk/brochure-2023/.

Tickets are available to buy for the Friday Preview Evening, Saturday and Sunday from
https://artsurrey.co.uk/tickets/

A thought-provoking animated film made at the University of Surrey, which encourages its viewers to Remember the Future, has achieved the accolade of ‘Best Environmental Film’ at the Cannes World Film Festival.  

Co-created by the University’s Institute for Sustainability to support its vision of a world where everyone can live fulfilling and healthy lives within the limits of the planet, the film seeks to draw in viewers emotionally and win hearts and minds to the need to collaborate and act. 

Remember the Future was produced and directed by Jon Weinbren, who is the Programme Director for Surrey’s MA in Film, Animation and Digital Arts within the University’s Department of Music and Media. The film shows a tree that is ailing because of environmental damage. The tree is saved from destruction by cooperation between an optimistic, visionary child and a songbird, delivering an upbeat, hopeful way forward. 

Professor Lorenzo Fioramonti, Founding Director of the University of Surrey’s Institute for Sustainability, said: 

“A tree is a symbolic and almost permanent thing. We see it through the seasons and ages, with a child dreaming of a future which rubs out the climate emergency. We see the solutions which are within our reach. We hope this film plants the seed and encourages people to work with each other and be connected.” 

Co-written by Tom Hill and brought to life by a team of artists led by animation director Izzy Barszcz, the film was crafted using digital natural media techniques to create an evocative water-colour feel. It also features an original song composed and performed by Surrey alumna Alice Mills. 

Jon Weinbren said: 

“We experimented with using some of the latest AI-based image generation and style transfer techniques, but the quality we were achieving wasn’t high enough. Instead, our team of animators resorted to ‘traditional’ digital painting techniques to create the hand-crafted look and feel which, along with a beautifully arresting, specially composed song, helps the film engage on a powerful emotional level.” 

Nathalie Hinds, Head of Operations and Partnerships at the Institute for Sustainability, said: 

“Achieving a sustainable world takes cooperation and inspiration, as well as technology and regulation. At Surrey, we’re working on all of these, with the Institute for Sustainability taking an active, leading role. Strategic partners of the Institute, who were lucky to have an exclusive preview of the film, gave feedback how the film not only creates a sense of urgency, but is a true beacon of hope. They hope to use it within their organisations to inspire staff and suppliers.”  

Remember the Future has been entered for other film festivals and will also screen at the Electric Theatre as part of Guildford’s Car Free Day on Sunday 24 September. Find out more about Car Free Day, watch a trailer or see how the film was made on YouTube. 

For information about the MA in Film, Animation and Digital Arts, visit the website. 

Epsom Jazz Club returns this Tuesday 12th September for another three highly anticipated world class jazz concerts, beginning with their first intimate duo show.

The wondrous pair of Cuban Jazz violinist Omar Puente and Italian pianist and composer Ilario Ferrari have performed their “Mediterranean meets Cuba” show numerous times in London to sellout crowds and now Epsom Jazz Club has encouraged them to bring it to our Borough to launch the new Season. Omar can often be seen leading his own sextet in venues such as Ronnie Scott’s and upon many a Jazz Festival stage. Ilario is equally busy, having just released his third album as band leader, a work for piano and string quartet that combines Classical music, contemporary Jazz and Indian rhythms. They promise to take the audience on a journey from Cuba, the shores of south Italy and back, exploring the common ground and new possibilities that come from the encounter of the Afro-Cuban Jazz tradition and the Mediterranean Culture.

Next month, on Tuesday 10th October Epsom Jazz Club plays host to an all-star Saxophone Quartet led by swing and the straight-ahead focussed Fraser Smith. In-demand pianist Rob Barron makes his return to Epsom after his visit in August (with vibes player Nat Steele), alongside revered bassist Simon Read and stalwart jazz drummer Steve Brown. Swinging sax quartets are often so popular with audiences and these four musicians are amongst the best. Following Fraser’s album release in April this year, the band has been gigging all over the UK showcasing much of the music from “TipTop!” as well as hard bop / bebop arrangements of popular standards.

And finally, on Tuesday 7th November arguably one of the world’s best jazz clarinettists, Giacomo Smith, will be performing on the Oaks Room stage. Born in Italy and raised in upstate New York, Giacomo leads many great projects (including Kansas Smitty’s, Hot Five, Trav’lin Light) as well as being in demand all over the world as a soloist and collaborator. He’s produced recordings for Jamie Cullum, rising star Jas Kayser and the debut album from actor Damian Lewis alongside performing regularly as a featured soloist with Gregory Porter the Southbank Sinfonia and other international orchestras. His writing, production and collaborations have garnered 10m + streams and counting. Alongside New Zealand born jazz guitarist and banjo player Alexander ‘Honey’ Boulton, and US born (and Manhattan School of Music and Royal Academy of Music graduate) double bassist Will Sach, Epsom Jazz Club has booked a phenomenal trio for their Autumn Season finale!

Tickets for all these concerts are on sale now and available to buy in advance either via their website EpsomJazzClub.com or by going directly to the ticket site.

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Last Monday, 7th August, Epsom Library invited Frances Cohen to come and read some of the poems from her recently published book: “A Prickle of Porcupines – Really!!”

The added attraction was that the poems had been illustrated by five of her 7 grandchildren, three of whom go to local schools in Epsom. Wallace Field Juniors, and Rosebery.

Frances is a 74 year old widow, and during the many COVID lockdowns she decided to use her talent for writing poems and using the different, and sometimes very amusing “collective nouns” she had discovered for animals and birds, which she had taught to her grandchildren over the years.

The poems are educational, including some interesting facts about each animal or bird, and really can be enjoyed by children of all ages, and adults alike.

Jellyfish have been around for millions of years,
They are 95% water, and have no brains, bones, or ears,
Even though they have long tentacles, they are not very smart,
They also have no eyes, and not even a heart.
150 million people get stung by them every year,
So they are not very popular when, near your beach, they appear.
So if you see them coming, you better draw back,
And if there are lots of them together, it is called a SMACK

The book is available on Amazon, and some Waterstones Shops

Image: Frances with and left to right: Oz, Billie, Mya and Jacob.

On Monday 31st July we went to see Annie Get Your Gun at the Lavender Theatre – a recently erected outdoor space amongst lavender fields in Reigate Road, Epsom. A new venture for Mayfield Lavender.. the owners of the family-run lavender farm in Banstead. Fortunately, it was a lovely evening and the setting perfect. We were welcomed into the theatre after passing through the stunning shop with beautiful gifts including ‘lavender chocolate bars’ – outside one could buy drinks and enjoy delicious eats before the performance.

The show included celebrated stars from the music world – SuRie (represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song concert in 2018) as Anna, Charlie Mccullagh (Frank) and many other wonderful performers including three children.

We were enthralled by the magic of this open-air show, tapping our feet to the famous tunes including “no business like show business” and ‘Doin’ what comes natur’lly’.

I can honestly say it was one of our best evenings out! Huge congratulations to Director Simon Hardwick and his team.

Tickets are still available until the show ends on Saturday 5th August!

On sale today at lavendertheatre.com.

As locals we hope that this innovative exciting venture will continue – another jewel for our area.

Related reports:

New Epsom theatre very open for business

A young Epsom couple will be making a large donation to charity after the miniature vase they purchased in an Epsom charity shop for £2.50 sold this weekend at auction for £6300.

The beautiful black Japanese cloisonne 4-inch-high vase by Namikawa Yasuyuki, featuring a cockerel, hen and chicks was created during the late 19^th century. The same technique was used to create the taller red vase shown, which I purchased from the Debra charity shop in Ewell Village a few years ago.

Whilst charity shops, like Debra in Ewell and the one in Epsom the young couple visited, are always on the lookout for Asian treasures, due to the profitable Chinese and Japanese antique markets, work of the quality of Yasuyuki rarely finds its way onto the bric-a-brac shelves of charity shops; so it is not difficult to understand how the fine detailed cloisonne work was overlooked and perhaps mistaken for a transfer print. Note how different the red Debra charity shop Japanese cloisonne vase looks to the young Epsom couple’s find.     

Cloisonne is the technique of creating designs on metal vessels with coloured glass paste which is placed within enclosures made of copper or bronze wires attached to the vessel. Then the vessel is fired in a kiln at a temperature of about 800C. 

Although there were markings on the base of the black cloisonne vase, it would have taken an expert to understand the significance of these, which is why the young Epsom couple contacted Canterbury Auction Galleries who succeeded in selling the much sought after vase today. The auction house had sold a larger vase by Yasuyuki for £29,000 in April 2019.

The Epsom couple that found the Yasuyuki cloisonne vase have generously pledged to make a large donation to the Epsom charity shop they purchased the vase from.

The finders intend to treat themselves to a well-deserved holiday with the remaining sale proceeds.

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DEBRA was established in 1978 by Phyllis Hilton, whose daughter Debra had epidermolysis bullosa (EB), as the world’s first patient support group for people living with EB. Epidermolysis bullosa is the name for a group of painful genetic skin conditions that cause the skin to become very fragile and tear or blister at the slightest touch.

The local branch can be found at 78 High St, Ewell, Epsom KT17 1RE

Top photo background image: cc. Remi Mathis (auction illustration, not the real one).

Local councillors from the borough of Epsom and Ewell have granted the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) Epsom planning approval to change the use of two centrally located buildings for educational purposes.

The Wells Building on Church Street and Parkside House on Ashley Road signify an expansion of UCA’s estate, providing more than 40,000 square feet of additional space and delivering high-quality teaching, learning and social spaces. 

The building on Church Street marks a return to UCA’s roots, as it is adjacent to no. 1 Church Street, which was previously home to Epsom Technical College and School of Art, its predecessor institution.

Investment in the buildings’ construction and reconfiguration is likely to reach around £13 million.

By utilising existing office buildings close to its Epsom campus, UCA will be able to deliver these retrofitted spaces rapidly, in an environmentally friendly way and with minimal disruption to the community, student and staff experience.

The projects will also enhance collaboration with Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, the local community, and residents as the new buildings will provide opportunities and spaces for creativity and innovation and blaze a trail for greater engagement in the town’s activities.

UCA’s Chief Operating Officer, Mark Ellul, said: “This is a massive step forward in growing our Epsom campus and building on our global reputation as a centre for Fashion & Textiles and Business School for the Creative Industries. 

“We must have facilities and functions in place for us to deliver the very best creative education and adding two new buildings to our estate will create a creative learning environment that is fit for the 21^st Century.”

Works will commence later this year and the plan is to occupy the buildings in 2024/25.

Emma Cook UCA

Professor Nick Foskett has been named as the interim President & Vice-Chancellor of the University for the Creative Arts. This includes the campus in Ashley Road, Epsom.

Prof. Foskett, currently an independent member of UCA’s Board of Governors, will take over from outgoing President & Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bashir Makhoul, upon his retirement from UK higher education in September.

“Having served on the Board of Governors, it was an honour to be asked to cover this interim period,” said Prof. Foskett.“UCA is a wonderful university with endless potential and under Prof. Makhoul’s leadership is in a fantastic position. I will ensure his legacy continues and is built on so that UCA can continue its impressive trajectory.”

Prof. Foskett is a graduate of Oxford and Southampton universities and has had a long and diverse relationship with higher education, working at some of the UK’s leading universities. He was Vice-Chancellor of Keele University from 2010 to 2015, and Interim Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University from 2017 to 2018. For around 20 years he held several positions at the University of Southampton, latterly as Professor of Education and Dean of the Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences. Prior to that his first foray into higher education was at Aston University, working in school engagement and external relations.

An expert in education policy and management, Prof. Foskett has sat on and continues to sit on several boards in the UK and globally and has also made a huge contribution to the development of governance frameworks within the higher education sector.

Prof. Makhoul announced his retirement from UCA and from UK higher education in March of this year, after more than six years as President & Vice-Chancellor. Since joining, Prof. Makhoul has steered the University towards its aim of becoming a global authority on the creative industries, forging significant partnerships at home and abroad. He has overseen a five-fold increase in international students studying at the University’s UK campuses and spearheading the opening of the Institute of Creativity and Innovation in Xiamen, China, along with the establishment of the UK’s first Business School for the Creative Industries.

External recognition of these achievements includes being named Modern University of the Year by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide in 2019 and being granted Research Degree Awarding Powers by the Office for Students.

Prof. Makhoul said: “I am delighted Prof. Foskett will be overseeing operations while my permanent replacement is found. He has a fantastic track record and understands UCA’s unique position as a champion of the creative industries. I wish him all the best for his interim tenure.”

Jeremy Sandelson, Chair of the Board of Governors, said: “We are delighted Prof. Foskett has agreed to be our interim President & Vice-Chancellor at UCA. We couldn’t think of a safer pair of hands to take the helm, and we offer him every support as he leads the University during this time.”

Emma Cook UCA

Students from the Class of ‘23 at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) in Epsom descended upon London’s Royal Festival Hall for their graduation ceremony on Tuesday 4 July. This year over 700 students graduated from the Epsom campus of UCA.

Opening the ceremonies, Professor Bashir Makhoul, President and Vice-Chancellor of UCA, told graduating students: “You are stepping out today into a world of great promise – the thriving creative industries – and the opportunities for creative graduates are endless. Be ready to seize them, and to embrace challenges, with an open mind. 

“I am confident of your drive, unrelenting ambition, and passion for creativity, and I am eager to see how you will apply your talents and make a difference around the world.”

During the ceremonies, UCA Chancellor and renowned ceramicist, Magdalene Odundo OBE offered this piece of advice: “Commit wholeheartedly to your goals and trust that your talent will enable you to achieve them. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the world’s greatest designers and artists, and they all share a common value: staying true to their vision.”

In the presence of families, friends and staff across two days of ceremonies, graduates came up to the stage and collected their degree certificates – the culmination of their journey at UCA. Graduating students will now take their place in the global creative community as they embark on the next stage in their creative careers.

On the evening of June 27th, 2023, The Epsom Playhouse opened its doors to The Epsom and Ewell Showcase, brought together by the Epsom Rotary Club. This evening had it all, proving that our community is bursting with extraordinary talent and bringing everyone together to fundraise for local charities.

The evening began with a young Epsom saxophonist whose melodic tunes transported the audience to another realm. She was followed by Kasumi Brooker, whose soprano voice soared through the auditorium gracefully. Then came Ambition School of Dance, showcasing their remarkable choreography and flawless execution. Cam Brown lightened the mood with his humorous songs, and the Bharathakalalayam South Indian Dance Troupe transported the audience to the vibrant and rich world of Indian classical dance and legend. Leatherhead Link‘s inspirational and emotional performance closed the first half with the audience in complete harmony with the choir. In the second half, Protègèm brought us the 70s vibes and danced to Abba’s hits, the  Girlguiding Epsom sang campfire favourites, and the Epsom Silver Band’s Brass Quintet perfectly played well-known versions of classic songs. 

The presence of the Mayor of Epsom and Ewell Cllr Robert Geleit and the Mayoress added a touch of prestige to the event. Their support and appreciation for local talent underscored the importance of nurturing and celebrating our community’s creative spirit.

None of this would have been possible without the support of generous sponsors: Honey & Bamboo, a zero-waste shop from Ewell Village, Alexandra Park’s Park View Cafe, Rotary South D1145, a kind anonymous donor and the fantastic people at the Playhouse who helped with everything.

Epsom Rotary is active in the community with a wonderful allotment project delivering food to The Pantry in South Street and working in conjunction with the Epsom and Ewell Royal British Legion to look after our veterans, amongst many other activities. If you would like to join Rotary or become a Friend of Rotary and volunteer to help your community as well, then don’t hesitate to fill out the form:

https://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/membershipenquiry.php?ClubID=874

You can find out more about Rotary here: https://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=874

Reporter Romana Sustar is a multilingual freelance journalist, University Language Tutor, marketer and owner of  Epsom Digital Ltd., a local digital marketing agency.