The Discovery Centre at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is a brand new and exciting venue – and hosts six of the best speakers to grace the 50th anniversary of the Rye Arts Festival (September 10 – 26).
Dr Barry Yates, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve’s long-standing and personable warden, kicks off events with an illustrated talk on Wednesday, September 15, at 3pm. Looking at the time machine that is the nature reserve, he’ll use time-lapse photography and high-speed filming, to compare views not just over recent years, but over decades and even centuries.
Charlie Corbett takes up the baton on September 16, talking about “12 Birds to Save Your Life”. He selects a dozen avians and tells us about their lives and why they helped him to come to terms with his mother’s death.
On Sunday, September 19, Jane Lovell, who is the writer in residence at the nature reserve, will be discussing and reciting her award-winning poetry, which is anchored in eco-awareness.
Author Jane Newbery talks about her writing heroine and inspiration Monica Edwards on Wednesday, September 22. Monica, a prolific and much-loved children’s writer was a long-term resident of Rye Harbour and wrote many children’s adventures set in and around Romney Marsh, including the Punchbowl Farm series.
Matt Rees-Warren is the ecological gardener. His ideas will inspire you with plans for a beautiful and sustainable garden, one which offers a haven for nature and wildlife, no matter what the soil or need for fresh water.
On Friday, September 25, the festival is delighted to welcome back a firm favourite, Adam Nicolson. The Discovery Centre is the natural venue for his talk, focusing on the intertidal, the area between low and high water. Rye Harbour is subject to tides twice a day, so why not come and listen to ‘The Sea is Not Made of Water’?
The newly completed Discovery Centre offers a café which festival goers can use for a light lunch before listening to the talks.
Tickets for these talks, and all the 60 events covering classical and contemporary music, films, drama and much more, can be obtained online or from the box office (telephone 01797 462168) or weekdays from Grammar School Records, on Rye’s high street.
As the safety of audiences, volunteers and artistes is essential the festival plans to limit capacities to 75% at all venues, and make sure that it adheres to the latest advice from SAGE. So book your ticket as soon as possible in order not to be disappointed.
Image Credits: Matt Rees-Warren , supplied by Rye Arts Festival .