ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS SOCIAL – SECOND WEDNESDAYS: Hello! The next gathering is Wednesday 8th September, 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm @ the Vestry, South Street, Chichester. If you have any news, flyers, ideas or just fancy getting out and kick-starting this decade with some networking come along. Please bring any flyers, info, ideas - You can send in images to be projected; any of your work or others on the screens – so we have a bit of visual stimulus, and of course it is an opportunity to come along and promote any exhibitions/events you have coming up. If you want to show any work – send me some images! Tiffany  tiffany.robinson@btinternet.com

venue: The Vestry (South Street, Chichester) – come along to meet other creatives, relax and enjoy some drinks and lively conversation …. then the second Wednesday of every month, 6-8 pm, … everybody welcome!

Unity Art @ Oxmarket Centre of Arts, St Andrews Court (off East Street) Chichester.

Works by nine artists from Chichester’s new UNITY STUDIOS: Sophie Adams, Laurence Elliott, Des Kilfeather, Frances Knight, Consol Pomar, David Pratt, Jayne Sandys-Renton, Cathy Somerville and Jo Tromp. Some of these artists will be available to chat about their work on various days during the exhibition (check at the reception desk for details).

Exhibition open Monday 26th – Saturday 31st July, 10am – 4.30pm.

UNITY ARTS TRUST’s public appeal has reached two-thirds of its target in its’ fundraising appeal – £6,700 – (many thanks to all those who’ve responded so positively!), but still needs more people to support the vision by becoming a Friend of Unity Arts Trust (£50+) or a Founder Member (£500 – £1000). Please consider supporting this worthy cause to enable the studio project to get off the ground as soon as possible.

The appeal is to make the dream of providing working spaces for Chichester’s artists and craftspeople a reality. We are seeking benefactors keen to commit to supporting artists and craftspeople at the beginning of their careers by offering the chance to become a Friend of Unity Arts Trust (£50+) or a Founder Member (£500 – £1000). With this support, artists plan to channel back their creativity to the local community through educational work with the young and disadvantaged. Unity Arts Trust also hopes to spread the word about the amazing wealth of creative talent here on our doorstep. Sculptor and University Senior Lecturer, Tim Sandys-Renton, who is the volunteer project director and a trustee, says:

“UNITY ARTS TRUST is applying to be a charity. We’re about to take on a temporary space in Chichester, in the countdown to taking on permanent premises in 2-3 years time on the Graylingwell site being developed by Linden and Downland, thanks to the vision and support of Chichester District Council.” “The project is both a worthwhile community-arts project and a creative/cultural small-business start-up scheme, but by linking these two quite different types of activity Unity Arts Trust aims to pilot a new way of supporting artists and the local Chichester community at the same time. It’s a win-win scenario. Once we are up and running, the basic operations will be financially self-supporting, but, in the short-term, we need to raise £10,000 by Christmas to make the space workable. After years of planning, this is a crucial moment! We hope to play our part towards making Chichester a City of Artists and Craftspeople to rival Brighton, and to support SWAG’s bid for Chichester to become the UK City of Culture.”

If you would like to hear more or to pledge support, email Tim info@unityartstrust.org uk or call 01243-530179. All donations, large and small, appreciated! Use our online donate button now!