A sense of excitement surrounded the Rye Arts Festival AGM at the Rye Community Centre on Sunday February 7, as members queued for voting slips at the hall door.
In his chairman’s address, Ian Graham-Bryce acknowledged the extensive support for the Festival not just from the committee, but from hosts, sponsors and volunteers throughout the local community. The 2015 Festival had proved successful artistically and financially. Standards remained as high as ever, with the appearance of internationally acclaimed performers, an established opera production and a number of innovations such a string quartet in residence, an exhibition of national artists curated by Studio School students, as well as music in pubs.
Soon came the moment for elections to office. Wayne Jones had resigned and Jane Conlin was voted onto the committee. Then the two candidates for chairman, Michael Eve and Peter Mackenzie Smith, each presented their qualifications and motivation for seeking office, also outlining their strategic thinking about the Festival’s future direction.
From the floor, members questioned the candidates, and their ability to work with the committee; Stephen Ashley-King challenged the selection process by which nominations for chairman had been handled. One member asked why he had been disenfranchised from voting, one of six, it transpired, who had joined as members in the period following issue of the notice of the meeting. Following discussion about ambiguity in the constitution, the motion that these persons should be granted voting rights was put to the vote and carried.
In the election to office of chairman, past chairmen Christopher Rowe and Richard Thomas agreed to act as tellers and the vote was taken, with Michael Eve being pronounced the winner by 59 votes to 51. The candidates shook hands and the incoming chairman thanked members for the honour, remarking: “this means a lot of hard work which I shall look forward to, but as Peter said earlier ‘let’s have fun while we do it’”.
In accordance with tradition, refreshments were then served and well-mannered social intercourse resumed.
Photo: Ray Prewer