EVENTS 2024
Upcoming events.
Art Fayre
"This is an art fayre with so much more…Peruse our artists’ stalls showcasing a myriad of creations whilst live music fills the air. Enjoy delicious food whilst you watch a roller skating performance and let the kids craft up a storm and be transformed into beautiful blooms by our talented face painter!
Throughout the day there will be live performance from artists such as Montague Armstong, Dolly Delicious, local DJs and so much more "
Tender Tonics, A Celebration of Dandelions
An evolving installation with fun & creative thinking, writing and making activities to reflect on our relationship with dandelions and wildness.
Mud Club Open Day
Come and see the school allotment and join in a host of fun family activities!
YOYO CLUB TAKEOVER @ Art in the Park - CREATIVE FAMily FUN
A fun filled creative family-friendly morning as Curious Agenda takes over the YOYO Club at Art in the Park for a special extended session full of creativity, stories and special guests.
Join Peter Quinnell in making unusual musical instruments, Nightingale Music on a journey up the beanstalk to discover what lurks above, Revolting Arts Club in Kids Dress Up & Draw or collaborate towards our community Curiositree.
Curio-St Leonard's Village Fete
Practice those hook-a-duck skills, warm-up your shoulder for the welly wang, and get your dog perfecting their waggiest tail for the Curious Town Village Fete! With lots of stations to explore and try your hand at, this will be a day of silly fun and prizes to be won for all the family.
John Logie Baird Talk - Spirit of Invention Festival
Dr Jude Montague is a film historian and author. She presents the life and inventions of John Logie Baird who created television, with special focus on his Hastings experiments one hundred years ago. Including a special tour and chance to get up close to the John Logie Baird archive in Hastings Museum with questions and answers.
Plant a Memory Curiosity Cabinet
This workshop asks participants to contribute to a shared story and a growing artwork. Quite literally. We invite you to bring along a small cutting or specimen of a plant that means something to you and add it to the curiosity cabinet along with a short description that tells us about your connection with your plant - does it bring back memories of childhood? Does it connect you to a particular place, a person or a time in your history? Or is it simply a personal favourite? The collection will grow throughout the festival and thereafter plants will be shared with the local community.
Painting the aisLe with Laura Ribbons
In this workshop members of the public are invited to contribute to creating a collective drawing/painting working along the aisle of the church. Participants will be able to combine traditional drawing tools like charcoal with alternative materials like beetroot and coffee.
Woodland Trail
Join us on a journey of magical discovery in Speckled Wood. Get curious in the woods and wander through the Curious Woodland Trail, making sure to keep your eyes peeled for all the hidden curiosities in the trees and along the ground… What can you spot? Woodland creatures, big or small? Plants, trees and flora? Speckled Wood will be adorned with nature-themed artwork made from willow, wood, clay and more, created by acclaimed local artists Mark Daniels, Martin Brockman and Peter Quinnell.
Motherwood by Radiator Arts
"Radiator Arts take you on a magical journey into the wonderful underground world of Mycorrhizal Fungi. This immersive and educational installation explores its vital place in the forest ecosystem with handcrafted sculptures including a glade of life size trees and root systems surrounding a central mother tree. Interactive sounds and lights will enhance the message and experience further.
There will be innovative educational displays that describe the processes, featuring a funghi library.
Mycelium networks are unseen yet vital to the health of trees, almost magical and endlessly fascinating. This is an appealing and perfect metaphor for our climate crisis. "
Super Curious Saturday
A Curious Town is teaming up with the St Leonard’s Church market to put on a saturday market with a whole bunch of curious added extras! Come along to browse the local sellers - all selling wares along the festival’s theme of Growth - and explore the church while you’re at it, to discover the curiosities on offer.
Community Curiosity Cabinet of Growth
"Enter into the church vaults through the big red door into our Community Curiosity Cabinet of Growth. What will you discover inside?
Ignite your sense of wonder as you explore the curious artwork within our curiosity cabinet exhibition space, created by a myriad of local artists and community groups. Explore how the artists have interpreted the festival theme of growth in a multiple of mediums, including full immersive experiences.
Become entranced by the artistic projections on the church vault walls, and pull back the curtain to step into ‘MOTHERWOOD' - the wonderful underground world of Mycorrhizal Fungi created by Radiator Arts. "
Makers Market
"We’re joining forces with the St Leonard’s Church Market to bring you a one-off festival themed makers market in the vaults of this amazing venue - with a few curious twists!
“FENCE” - FOUR COURTS Art Installation
In the development of an outdoor artwork created specifically for their landscape, residents and friends of Roosevelt Court will explore what ‘curiosity’ means with early career ExploreTheArch facilitator, Elkie Riley, mentored by Gail Borrow and Rod Morris. The participants' weekly stories, craft outputs and images will be metaphorically ‘posted' through the picket fence surrounding the Four Courts Wellbeing Hub where children meet in the Monday after-school connect sessions.
GROWTH Photography Exhibition @BUS STOP STUDIOS
Come along to the Bus Stop Studios to discover how local photographers have interpreted our festival theme of growth during this 5 week photography exhibition. This open call asked artists to interpret 'growth' in any way they are curious about… growth of mindset, growing up, older, bigger, growth in nature, growth in community - the interpretations are endless. Since this is a competition, drop by to have a browse and vote for your favourite, or maybe even purchase a print for yourself! The exhibition will be open Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-4pm, with a Private Viewing on 24th May, 6:00pm-8:00pm.
Spirit of Invention exhibition @ Electro Studios
Part of an informal DIY festival by artists to celebrate invention in its abstract and strangest everydayness is inspired by John Logie Baird’s work to develop television. This exhibition by artists inspired by invention is followed by talks and workshops at the Hastings Museum on 24-25th May