Steyning doorway at Festival time - covered with flyers

The Steyning Festival

We like the Steyning Festival a lot here at West Sussex.info

It's interesting without being pretentious. It's inclusive too, featuring a mixture of Steyning performers and people from outside the area.

No Steyning venue is left unused The Steyning Festival takes place in late May and early June, when the spring flowers are still holding on and Steyning still looks lovely.

The festival takes in literature, with talks by authors (last year, rather impressively, including Louis be Bernieres). Added to that there's plenty of music with choral music from the Cantatrice Choir and classical music organised by the Steyning Music Society. But there's modern music too, with the Jazz Club and Live Lounge prominent.

There's a tick in the theatre box with drama, variety, story telling and a theatre trail.

Dance, art, photography and even quilting get a fair look in too. And there's more than enough for kids too.

You can find out more news about the programme for the next Steyning Festival on the official festival website

Steyning Festival update 2011

The organisers of the Steyning Festival have sent us a message about 2011 as follows:

"For various reasons Steyning Festival 2011 is not going ahead in its normal format in 2011.

There are however a number of events being planned for June 2011.

Please take a look at the admin site for Steyning Festival and this will provide updates

The list includes:

Laurlelorrie Gusset (Comedy)
2nd June 2011 Drama Hall, Steyning Grammar School.

Puerto Flamenco (Dance)
3rd June 2011 Drama Hall, Steyning Grammar School.

Comedy Night
4th June 2011 Drama Hall, Steyning Grammar School

Pluck Musical Arson (Comedy)
17th June 2011 Drama Hall, Steyning Grammar School

Live Lounge Party (Music)
18th June 2011 Drama Hall, Steyning Grammar School

Cuthman Lectures
The Cuthman Lectures are designed to explore issues relating to religion, belief, ethics and morals in a contemporary world. The aim is to have speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds; some will have religious affiliations and others will have none. The lectures are free and open to anyone who is interested. All are welcome.

Dr Michael Palmer: The Atheist's Creed
Tuesday 1st February, 7.30pm at The Penfold Hall, Church Street

Rt Revd Richard Harries (formerly Bishop of Oxford)
Christian Themes in Modern Art
Friday 20th May, 7.30pm at St Andrew's Primary School, Shooting Field, Steyning

Steyning Bookshop will be putting on various author events throughout the spring and summer.

Pam's Poetry and Pints
This monthly get-together has been going since the 2009 Festival. Meet on the third Wednesday of the month at The Norfolk Arms, Church Street at 8pm.

Opera
Music Theatre 2000 will be bringing another operatic event to Steyning further to its success during the 2010 Festival.

Art Trail
Finally, several of the artists involved with previous Art Trails are keen to continue this most successful event.