The Horsebridge Arts Centre

Room hire availability! Some weekly slots have become available for our lovely large *air conditioned* performance space. Ideal for dance or exercise classes and children's activities. Big enough to fit the world in and kind to bare feet!

Our team will be on reception to welcome participants, and we feature regular hirers in our quarterly brochure, the centre and on our website.

From just £26 per hour, please get in touch if you are interested in:
Saturdays between 9am and 10am ,
Tuesdays 11 am till 4pm or
Fridays 9am to midday.
Find out more on our website and use our virtual tours to explore all of our spaces. https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/spaces

You are very welcome to come and see the spaces but please call first as they are often in use.

Join Richard this week to learn about Picasso at war, looking at his more powerful work.
book your place now, https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/talks-events/art-and-artists-7-rerun

Grab your dancing shoes and join us for an evening of fun, music and traditional ceilidh dancing.
Whether you're a seasoned dancer or a complete beginner, our friendly caller will guide you through every step, making it easy for everyone to join in and have fun.
Best of all, every ticket sold helps support The Horsebridge Arts Centre, enabling us to continue providing creative opportunities for people of all ages to experience and enjoy the arts.
Bringing together music, dance and jollying about, you can make a real difference while enjoying a fantastic night out.

This time last week our team were doing final prep for the Whitstable Carnival Whitstable Carnival Association and getting ready to parade with our fabulous Garden of England basket and Land Girls and Guys theme. The impressive -prize winning - display was created by the fantastic young people during their work experience at the centre recently. Even more incredible is they made the whole thing using repurposed materials from our ArtBank.

Another amazing community day and a big thank you to all of the volunteers who work so hard to make events like this happen. It was an absolute pleasure to be part of it as always and lovely to see so many young people who had made flowers and more at the workshops in June.

Photo credit (slide 2): Andrew Hastings.

This is the last weekend to enjoy the two lovely summer exhibitions in our galleries.

You can see the winners of Bird Wise East Kent's annual photography competition in Gallery One, with categories ranging from Salty Sea Dogs to Human Impact, alongside information and displays about the biodiversity of the Thanet Coastline, it's a super exhibition for the whole family.

In Gallery Two, we have a special pop up summer shop, celebrating work from the talented makers and artists that are part of our our main shop and whose work is inspired by our unique coastal town.
From prints to tote bags and mugs to puzzles all featuring iconic Whitstable imagery, you could find the perfect gift, souvenir or just a present for yourself!

Join our exciting rehearsal process for Shakespeare’s The Tempest! This term, everyone who enrols in the class will become part of the cast, working together to rehearse and perform this bold, imaginative adventure.
If you’re aged 11–16 and want to be part of an unforgettable production, we’d love to have you join us.
book onto the course, link in bio. 🎭

🎼 Jazz at The Horsebridge returns at 5pm on Sunday 27 September with The Immy Churchill Trio.

Immy Churchill is a jazz singer/ songwriter based in London; a graduate from the Royal Academy of Music and is now one of the UK’s most exciting young jazz voices, making waves across the UK and European jazz scenes.

Our Sunday Jazz sessions are a great way to end the weekend - music starts at 5pm but the bar is open from 4.00pm for pre drinks.
Tickets are £17.50 or £15 for Friends and can be booked via
https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/jazz or on 01227 281174

Richard Dean's next fascinating Art and Artist talk (re-run) takes place on Monday 10th August, 10am -12pm.
The topic: 'Whaam! It's 1963' – exploring the year when The Beatles, The Ronettes and Bob Dylan dominated the charts, whilst Hockney, Bacon, Riley, Warhol, Lichtenstein and Hopper created masterpieces.
Perfect for beginners and intermediate students in a relaxed, friendly environment. Led by practising artist and experienced lecturer Richard Dean MA (formerly of Tate Britain and London art colleges).
£10 per talk (£9 Friends). Booking is recommended via the talks link on our website, bycalling 01227 281174 or visit reception.

⚡️Constant Lark return to the Horsebridge for a weekend of Summer Holiday Family Fun on 29th and 30th of August, as they take you on a hilarious, high-energy journey through the world of Greek myths.

With nothing but cardboard, imagination and plenty of disagreements, six performers bring gods, monsters and legendary heroes to life in this family-friendly retelling of ancient stories.

From epic adventures to ridiculous arguments, Tales of Gods and Heroes celebrates the magic of storytelling and the power of imagination. Expect laughter, chaos and a fresh take on some of the world’s oldest tales.

Tickets are just £5, so please book your places to avoid disappointment https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/films-theatre/constant-lark-presents-tales-gods-and-heroes

🌟Recommended for Children 6+

Join Simon Postgate MA on Saturday 26 September for a one day, large close-focus drawing of the face workshop.

Using charcoal and oiled charcoal on high quality Italian paper, Simon will lead you through tried and tested methods such as measuring and using a grid which enables detail and accuracy.
The class then opens out to add tone and detail to the drawing which is largely where the individual identity of the relationship with your subject can unfold.
The day is aimed at those familiar with using art materials, but if you want to jump in and give it your best shot Simon will do his best to make your portrait a success.
You can see by looking through images of previous workshops how striking the results of at the end of the day can be!

By the end of the class you will have a large portrait to put on display and leave with the skills to produce many more!
Cost: £60
To find out more and book your place visit https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/classes/studio-session-detailed-portrait-face or call us on 01227 281174 to book over the phone.