Welcome to The Arts Society New Forest. As a society we are interested in furthering our knowledge of the fine arts. We meet on a regular basis to enjoy lectures on a range of topics, delivered by renowned speakers. Our interests are extended further when we study subjects in greater depth and go out on day visits and breaks away, both in Britain and abroad.
An important aspect of our society is our aim to offer the opportunity, within an artistic framework, to young people from the local community to explore and extend their personal knowledge. Conservation of heritage is important to us too. A group of our members regularly meet to record for posterity, the fabric and artefacts of local places of worship.
Our society is a local branch of The Arts Society , an international charitable organization.
Ideas and suggestions for virtual tours of exhibitions, lectures and cultural activities during the corona virus lockdown are on the Page entitled ‘NEWS’ on the bar at the top of this page.
These also include work from the Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera House and the Met in New York. These wonderful opportunities are all free.
They are regularly updated and open the door to so many wonderful experiences !
If you have any ideas or suggestions please email them to me : ruth.conway@hotmail.co.uk
Dear Members
It would seem that we are not out of the woods yet although we can exercise and garden more now. There are also many lovely cultural programmes to watch online, lectures and virtual tours, plays, operas and ballets and we have posted a good selection of them on our website. Please look in our ‘NEWS’ section as new ideas are being added all the time to keep up to date with what is going on in the rest of the world. It is a joy to be able to watch so much in the comfort of our homes with no crowds or queues to contend with!
Your committee has been working hard to cope with the disruption COVID has caused and our next season’s lectures are now on our website to whet your appetite for a speedy return to normality. All in all, we are a vibrant and friendly society not to be daunted by this lockdown and there are many ways we have found to avoid boredom with the thought-provoking lectures on the Arts Society CONNECTED site – www.connected.theartssociety.org. Accredited lecturers from the Arts Society give fortnightly talks, the last one being given by Mark Hill on ‘Glass in the 1960s’ and who enthralled us with his ‘Cracking Glass ‘ lecture earlier this year. The next one will be by Nicola Moorby, another excellent lecturer who has talked to us recently.
Re our membership renewals – Gill is about to close the list for this year and is now taking new members off the waiting list. I appreciate that some of you will not have been able to send us your subscription owing to the lockdown and so please contact Gill directly if you have any queries about rejoining. We have kept the subscription at only £40 this year and are still hoping to begin the season in September as planned, and hold our AGM, but of course, this may have to be changed due to Covid19.
Meanwhile, I wish you all good health and happiness, and joy in your ‘armchair viewing’ during this isolating and difficult time,
With kind regards
Sue Balfour
Chairman
The Arts Society New Forest