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mark rylance sandy hill arts

An evening with Mark Rylance at Sandy Hill Arts

Last Thursday 6th June was extraordinary. Sir Mark Rylance entranced our audience for nearly two hours. He told us about the way he works, the way he thinks and he showed us the way he is : brilliant, warm, funny, engaging and most of all generous of spirit. This was a charity fundraiser event and his support for Sandy Hill Arts is hugely appreciated. It was unforgettable.*
Thank you all for coming! Please come on by again soon, drop in for a wander and a pause from life outside in our little green oasis. Meet the artists, savour the site, take part in a class, and attend one of the wonderful events in our beautiful marquee.
Coming up are the Summer Solstice Festival Weekend 20-22 June, that will coincide with the Arts University Bournemouth MA painting exhibition, right here at SHA., a unique improvisation workshop with the hugely creative ‘Sound Of Movement’ collective from London, followed by an evening gig – not to be missed on 27 July.
Look out too for the energy of Thokozile jazz/afro-beat band on 3rd August, and, please, come and hear world class poets and comedians at our Poetry Weekend on 31 August.
Since we began not that long ago Sandy Hill Arts (SHA) has punched above its weight, drawing in extraordinary talent: Fran and Flora, Dylan Moran, Iyatra Quartet, John Hegley, The Soothsayers, Elvis McGonagall and more. You all, as our community are part of this. Sandy Hill Arts as you know has a magic about it,  I don’t want to get too whimsical but you know what I mean.  Sandy Hill Arts is the place to be, the place to create, and is something rather unique and unusual that we hope you’ll become more a part of as the weeks, months and years progress.
Melissa Viney
Chair of the Trustees
Sandy Hill Arts
(* PS: for those lucky enough to attend our Mark Rylance evening, please could we ask that you kindly refrain from posting any videos of the event on social media – thank you very much)
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Tony Viney in his sculpture studio

Tony Viney

We are sad to announce that Tony Viney passed away on Friday 16th February.
Tony was a huge presence in the local arts and music scene and was responsible for setting up, and running, many of the local arts organisations and projects. He was also of course a founder member of the  Boilerhouse Gallery and the reason Sandy Hill Arts exists – his generosity and foresight securing  the Sandy Hill Studios site to ensure the arts had a base and a long future in Purbeck.
He will be much missed, and our thoughts are with his family – who continue to support the arts across Purbeck and beyond..
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Sandy Hill Arts Receives Substantial Funding Boost from Dorset Council

Sandy Hill Arts is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a grant from the Dorset Council Organisational Revenue Support Fund for Culture. The fund, designed to support arts and heritage organisations and accredited museums, has allocated a total of £486,000 to 28 organisations over the next three years, including the Mowlem and Artsreach.

Laurel Hart, Artistic Director of Sandy Hill Arts, expressed gratitude for the support, saying,

“This funding is a big step forward for Sandy Hill Arts, helping us to achieve our goals by securing a sustainable employment model that enables us to develop and deliver over the next three years.

With Dorset Council’s financial backing, we’re excited to develop more innovative and inspiring creative experiences and opportunities for people of all ages and needs in Purbeck.

We’ll be working in partnership with other organisations to reach under-engaged audiences and deepen our community engagement, with an aim to combat rural isolation so that our community not only benefits from creative enrichment but also enhanced wellbeing.

We’re excited to kick off this year’s programme with a wellbeing workshop on Saturday 27th January and will be running more wellbeing activities across the year.

We will be hosting more exciting events, exhibitions and workshops too – from macrame to printmaking – as well as free activities for families and young children like our nature trails and art activities as well as our Arty Bazaars. Do keep a lookout on our website for our winter/spring programme.

We are grateful to the council for recognising Sandy Hill Art’s value in developing the arts in Purbeck and look forward to working with creatives and the wider community over the year ahead. Get in touch with us if you’re interested in getting involved!”

You can read more about the grant recipients here and in Swanage News coverage. 

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Screenshot 2023-06-22 at 17.24.20 Medium

Sandy Hill Arts Launches Wellbeing Project, Using Art and Creativity to Foster Wellbeing

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Sandy Hill Arts is excited to announce the launch of a transformative wellbeing project aimed at supporting individuals in the local community who are experiencing anxiety and depression. This initiative uses the power of art and creativity, and the serene, natural backdrop of Sandy Hill Arts, to help participants with their mental wellbeing and encourage personal growth.

Thanks to generous funding from the Dorset Community Foundation, Sandy Hill Arts embarks on a six-week pilot project led by wellbeing coach, Jane Woods. With extensive experience of working in the healthcare industry, coaching with the NHS and national cancer charities, running creativity and nature based wellbeing workshops,  Jane will lead a series of activities tailored to promote overall wellbeing, self-expression and growth. The project will culminate in a short exhibition, held in Room 14.

“We are excited to see the launch of this wellbeing project at Sandy Hill Arts”. Said Richard Jeffery, Trustee at Sandy Hill Arts. “By combining the therapeutic benefits of art and creativity with a natural, serene environment like SHA, we hope to empower individuals, boost general wellbeing, and inspire creativity. Although this is a pilot project we hope to run more future initiatives that embrace the transformative power of art and nature for personal well-being and growth.”

If you’d like to find out more about future projects at Sandy Hill Arts get in touch at info@sandyhillarts.co.uk

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