3rd Sydenham Arts Festival opens on 1st July
As part of its community programme, Sydenham based family-run estate agency Property World, today announces its continuing primary sponsorship of the Sydenham Arts Festival, including the Visual Arts Trail, as well as the Sydenham International Music Festival. Property World has sponsored The Sydenham Arts Festival since it began in 2009 – the Festival delivers an arts programme including music, dance, comedy, film, poetry, visual arts, children’s events and workshops, all hosted and performed by local residents.
The first day of the Sydenham Arts Festival, 1 July, reflects the diversity of the three-week event and includes a free children’s musical theatre workshop at Champion Hall and an exhibition and talk of outstanding book covers at Kirkdale bookshop on Friday 1st July. The day culminates in an evening of live soul and jazz music at Tudor Liversey Hall with Lorna Marshal, guest artists and DJ ShiLove.
Other highlights of the Festival include a family fun Arts in the Park day at Home Park on Sunday 3rd July, poems from former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion and guests, plus numerous Edinburgh Festival previews throughout the month. Talks and performing workshops, alongside musical and theatre performances can all be booked online at www.sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk, There’s also a free street celebration on Saturday 17 July, featuring the pop up theatre, stages on the pavement, buskers and live performances around Sydenham Road High Street.
The Visual Arts Trail, over the last two weekends of the festival (9,10 and 16,17 July), is sponsored solely by Property World and showcases the work of more than sixty artists from Sydenham and Forest Hill in a number of Open Houses and Studios.
Some of the many highlights of The Sydenham International Music Festival (www.sydenhammusic.net) include International opera star Sir Willard White who played on 9 June with soprano Sylvia Kevorkian and Eugene Asti on Piano. The 2010 winner of the ‘BBC Young Musician of the Year, pianist Lara Melda also joins Maestro Robert Trory and the St. Bartholomew Festival Orchestra for the closing concert on 26 June at St. Bartholomew’s Church. Property World has sponsored this music event for the past five years.
Dan Crowley, director of Property World said: “We’re delighted to be supporting these incredibly creative community events yet again. The Sydenham Arts Festival gets bigger and better each year and reflects the real diversity and creativity of people living locally and the musical talent in The Sydenham International Music Festival is staggering. These fantastic events are a great boost for everyone living in and around Sydenham, from long-standing residents such as myself and my family, to those who are new in the area.”
Jonathan Kaufman, director of the Sydenham Arts Festival added: “We’re very grateful to Property World who have supported this incredible Arts Festival in Sydenham – an event they’ve been involved in since the Festival’s inception in 2009. We couldn’t make this happen without the support from our sponsors across the community and we’re delighted to include the Property Word family-run business in our tight knit Arts Festival family.
“This year’s Sydenham Arts Festival is bigger than ever and promises seventeen packed days of quality arts, entertainment, exhibitions, performances and immersive workshops.”