Room: Assembly Room

Guildford Arts Exhibition: Drawings and Print

The Guildford Institute and Guildford Arts are pleased to welcome you to visit their next exhibition from two talented local artists:

PEG MORRIS


Painter and printmaker Peg Morris explores dilapidation, decay, solitude, erosion and changing light conditions; processes which transform our surroundings.  Fascinated by process, Peg uses different media; drawing, painting, etching, collagraphy, monotype, lithography and artist’s books.  Her work is rooted in observation and drawing underpins all the images she makes. The places depicted in her work, whether interior or exterior, are quiet and contemplative; the composition leading the viewer through the space.

Peg’s studio is at her home in Gomshall in the Surrey Hills.  A member of the Southbank Printmakers Gallery and the Printmakers Council, she also works at Kew Studio where she is the Print Studio Manager and teaches etching. Her work is held in the V&A archive, the PMC Archive and in private collections across the UK and abroad.  She has exhibited in the RA Summer Exhibition 2022, the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair in 2020, 2021 and 2023, Compton Verney Print Fair in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and at the Mall Galleries with the SGFA in 2021 and the RBA and the RI in 2023.

See more at: www.pegmorris.com

 

CHARLES TWIGG

Currently Charles is working on a massive project looking at ‘The symbiotic relationship that trees have with their surroundings’; so far there are over 800 images in the body of work. His main interest is in ink work, but he also works in water colours, various mixed media, photography, sculpture and as a poet.

This exhibition is a fun body of work, using ink and watercolour in a way that images can be produces quickly in our ever-changing climate. Most of these images were produced on site; often whilst having interesting and sometimes challenging conversations with passers by, all good fun.

See more at: www.charlestwigg.co.uk

Guildford Institute Members’ Christmas Party – E076

Guildford Institute staff and volunteers would love to celebrate Christmas with Institute members.

Kick off the festive season and enjoy a chance to socialise with fellow members, hear some piano music and warm up with mulled wine and mince pies.

Chatty Cafe at The Guildford Institute

Chatty Café

Guilford Institute are linking up with The Chatty Café Scheme, the UK’s leading non-profit organisation, to combat loneliness and isolation.

Pop in and take a seat at our designated ‘Chatter & Natter’ table in the V Café at the Institute (1st floor), buy a drink and join our volunteer table host.

Enjoy a relaxed environment where customers can get together and chat.

Alternate Wednesdays, 10.30am – 11.30am
Next dates (January 2024) to be confirmed
(This is a drop in session so come when you want, for how long you want)!

Find out more about The Chatty Cafe scheme, including other venues and additional services at  www.thechattycafescheme.co.uk

Recital

Young Musicians’ Recital: George Christiansen ARSM

The Guildford Institute and Rula Hua are proud to welcome young, local talent George Christiansen to give an autumn piano recital.

George is a music scholar in the lower sixth at the Guildford Royal Grammar School. He is about to sit his DipABRSM diploma in piano, having been awarded an ARSM piano diploma in 2022. Over the years George has played in various music festivals, and has won awards in Farnham, Godalming and Woking.

George has enjoyed studying the piano since 2015 with his inspirational teacher Rula Hua, and he is delighted to be performing pieces this evening from his forthcoming diploma, including:

Johann Sebastian Bach:  Toccata in E Minor, BWV 914
(1685 – 1750)

Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata in C# minor, (‘Moonlight’) op. 27, no.2
(1770 – 1827)                    i. Adagio Sostenuto
ii. Allegretto
iii. Presto Agitato

Johannes Brahms: Capriccio in F# minor, op. 76, no.1
(1833 – 1897)

Karol Szymanowski: Etude in B♭ minor, op. 4, no.3
(1882 – 1937)

THE EVENT IS FREE TO ATTEND AND NO BOOKING IS REQUIRED

ALL ARE WELCOME

Tea with Joyce – E075

A one-woman homage to Joyce Grenfell. Recreating the style of one of her stage shows, this comedy review revisits some of Joyce Grenfell’s best loved monologues and songs.

‘Tea with Joyce’, is a specially curated version of this acclaimed one woman show for the Guildford Institute. Revel in this gem of nostalgia from the golden age of comedy and enjoy some tea, coffee and cake with Joyce afterwards!

‘Bravissimo… a wonderful show that leaves you marvelling at Joyce Grenfell’s wit and wisdom’ – Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph.

Henry Howard Earl of Surrey (1516–47) – T320 (Face to Face & Online)

Aged only 30, in 1547 the English nobleman, politician and poet Henry Howard Earl of Surrey was executed by order of Henry VIII. It is said that ‘a dangerously erratic young noble may have been neutralised, but an outstanding creative literary mind was also destroyed’.

This talk, brought to life with readings, will explore Surrey’s life at the centre of the Tudor court. It will reveal how, but for Surrey showing the way, there would have been no Shakespeare sonnets. Susan and Alfred, both historians, will share an enjoyable look back at lesser-known gentry.

This talk is available face to face at the Institute or online via zoom so make sure you select the correct ticket type.

Booking in advance is recommended.

Heathrow: From Stone Age to Jet Age – T319 (Face to Face & Online)

This fully illustrated talk will look at the history of the Heathrow area from prehistoric times, when huge earthworks dominated the landscape, through to the birth of the Ordnance Survey. Learn about the site’s early use for testing aircraft, and how it eventually became the world’s busiest international airport. The story is brought up to date with the continuing arguments about airport expansion.

Nick Pollard is Honorary Curator of Spelthorne Museum in Staines and Chairman of Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society. His paid job is actually in the aerospace industry!

This talk is available face to face at the Institute or online via zoom so make sure you select the correct ticket type.

Booking in advance is recommended.

Plant Passion – T318 (Face to Face & Online)

Claire is a flower farmer and florist who runs ‘Plant Passion’ in the Surrey Hills. The company specialises in growing a wide range of seasonal plants and flowers in a sustainable way; not in glasshouses, but mostly outside on a chalky East Clandon hillside. The plants are suited to the soil, so they can be produced without chemicals, and help nature.

Claire will talk about how she has created the farm over the last eleven years, and how the plants’ biodiversity has helped them to be truly ‘seasonal, scented and sustainable’. You will also gain an insight into how floristry is changing to become more sustainable.

This talk is available face to face at the Institute or online via zoom so make sure you select the correct ticket type.

Booking in advance is recommended.

The King and The Quack – T317 (Face to Face & Online)

George III’s memory has been defined by his mental health, often being referred to as ‘Mad King George’. Local historian and author Mike Ramscar will illuminate
you on the reality of George’s condition based on contemporary archive material, including documents from Surrey History Centre.

Mike will demonstrate how the failure of orthodox medicine drove members of the royal family to engage unqualified ‘quack’ practitioners such as James Lucett.
Learn more about Lucett’s methods and how he led the way for humane treatment of those with mental illness.

This talk is available face to face at the Institute or online via zoom so make sure you select the correct ticket type.

Booking in advance is recommended.

The Hope of Spring – T316 (Face to Face & Online)

The season of spring brings hope and happiness that warmer days are coming. Flowers start blooming, nature wakes up and the days are getting longer.
Have you ever wondered how April Fool’s Day started or how eggs became a symbol of Easter? How the London marathon began and the history of May Day?

Louise is a professional speaker and voice over artist who will treat you to an enjoyable and visual afternoon talk to get you in the mood for spring.

This talk is available face to face at the Institute or online via zoom so make sure you select the correct ticket type.

Booking in advance is recommended.

The Wit and Satire of Gilbert & Sullivan – T315 (Face to Face & Online)

‘No tolerance of undeserving rank and splendour’

Discover the witty commentary on contemporary society with a look at the stories behind some of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most famous, and less well-known, pieces of music. Uncover the thinly veiled satire of some of the plots, what motivated Gilbert to write certain operas, and unmask the characters who were deliberate parodies of certain specific Victorian politicians and notables.

This talk provides context to the operas, but also gives an insight into British society, history, culture, and world view in the Victorian era. If you are interested in British Nineteenth Century history – this is the talk for you!

This talk is available face to face at the Institute or online via zoom so make sure you select the correct ticket type.

Booking in advance is recommended.

Who Do You Think You Are? – T314 (Face to Face & Online)

This talk takes us behind the scenes of BBC TV series ‘Who Do You Think You Are’, from its inception as a social history series and evolution into a personal journey into the backgrounds of celebrities over the last 20 years.

Nick uses case studies to show how the research was undertaken, and assesses the impact it has had on the way we perceive and research family history in the digital age. Nick is an author, broadcaster and historian. He is also currently the Executive Director of Student Journey at Royal Holloway, University of London.

This talk is available face to face at the Institute or online via zoom so make sure you select the correct ticket type.

Booking in advance is recommended.

Celebrating Mary Quant – T313 (Face to Face & Online)

Join Stephanie Wood, the co-curator of the V&A 2019 Mary Quant exhibition for a look at the career and legacy of the pioneering fashion designer Mary Quant. You will get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the exhibition that celebrated a style icon who started a fashion revolution.

Stephanie is an exhibition project curator at the V&A, specialising in twentieth and twenty first century Fashion. She is project curator of the recently opened Gabrielle Chanel, Fashion Manifesto exhibition and contributing author to the accompanying publication. She was also researcher on the Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion exhibition in 2017.

This talk is available face to face at the Institute or online via zoom so make sure you select the correct ticket type.

Booking in advance is recommended.

Chatty Cafe at The Guildford Institute

Chatty Café

Guilford Institute are linking up with The Chatty Café Scheme, the UK’s leading non-profit organisation, to combat loneliness and isolation.

Pop in and take a seat at our designated ‘Chatter & Natter’ table in the V Café at the Institute (1st floor), buy a drink and join our volunteer table host.

Enjoy a relaxed environment where customers can get together and chat.

Alternate Wednesdays, 10.30am – 11.30am
Next date confirmed:  Wednesday 13 December
(This is a drop in session so come when you want, for how long you want)!

Find out more about The Chatty Cafe scheme, including other venues and additional services at  www.thechattycafescheme.co.uk

Guildford Arts Exhibition: Paint & Print

The Guildford Institute and Guildford Arts are pleased to present their next exhibition from talented local artists painter Julie Verity and printmaker Vicky Oldfield.

JULIE VERITY – PAINTER

Julie paints from nature. Landscapes, gardens and botany provide the shapes, lines, colours and textures she likes most.  She explore techniques to find the medium, surface, colour and style that best tell the story of what she sees and can imagine from what she sees. After five years exploration, Julie is still working-out how to paint something that is even marginally as pleasing as Nature itself!

E: julie3verity@gmail.com

W: www.julieverityart.co.uk

M: 07855 754759

 

VICKY OLDFIELD – PRINTMAKER

Vicky is an artist and printmaker who likes to find beauty in the everyday – some weeds on a roadside, or a cluttered windowsill can set off a new collection.  She treasures both the eccentric and the ordinary, inspired by collections of found objects and natural forms; she is fascinated with the structure and design found in flowers and plants, often redrawing the same plant many times over to explore the subtle variations in its form.

She has exhibited at The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, The Mall galleries, Bankside Gallery and shows work in many galleries across the UK and abroad. She was elected a full member of the Royal Society of British Artists in 2021.  She is a published author of ‘Mixed Media Collagraph Prints’ by the Crowood Press

E: Vicky@vickyoldfield.co.uk

W: www.vickyoldfield.co.uk

M: 07931758028

Guildford Arts Exhibition: Making a Difference

Guildford Institute and Guildford Arts are celebrating summer with a great exhibition from local artists:

JIM ROBERTSON

Jim grew up as an analogue photographer, capturing images on film.  But nowadays his images are digital and taken with whatever camera he has with him at the time. Whichever capture medium he uses, his printed output is almost always black and white. He finds the absence of colour removes distractions.

Jim’s photography has always been driven by shape and texture. Digital processing allows these be further emphasised.

As for technique,  he observes, photographs what he finds interesting and then lets the images speak. The work on display is from an ongoing series called France Perdue. It was taken during travels on the canals of France, which often pass through less frequented towns and villages. Here there are many examples of buildings which were once vibrant and productive, but which are now silent and abandoned.  As they decay, they still bear witness to the hopes of their users over the years.

See more and contact Jim at:
instagram: www.instagram.com/jim_robertson_photo
email: james.m.robertson@btinternet.com


JANE HAWKINS


Jane Hawkins explores the connections between organic and human physiology.

The often unseen, entangled and beautiful mechanisms that make up life on our planet.

As a teacher Jane was Head of Art at a Prep School, taught drawing at the British Museum and mixed media in studios and at workshops across Surrey and Sussex. She has exhibited in France, Germany, Barcelona, Miami, India and in the UK.

She currently works from her studio in Dorking.

See more and contact Jane at:
instagram: www.instagram.com/jane.hawkins3
email: janehawkins9453@gmail.com

 

Guildford Institute’s Open Mic Night

We are delighted to invite you to the Guildford Institute’s first-ever open mic night!

Everyone is welcome to join us in the main function room in our beautiful historic building for an evening of song and word, whether as a performer or as an audience member.  Musicians, singers, poets and comedians are all welcome to come along and give it a go, whether experienced or just starting out!

A full PA and lights will be provided and a beautiful Bechstein grand piano will also be available to play.

This event will be free of charge for everyone, performers and audience members alike.

A licensed bar will be open throughout the event.

If you would like to perform, please contact us in advance at info@guildford-institute.org.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Agatha Christie: Her Life & Legacy – E074 (Face to Face)

Agatha Christie remains one of the world’s bestselling authors, nearly five decades after her death in 1976. In this talk, we will explore Christie’s life and work, her contemporaries in the Golden Age of Crime, and her legacy around the world, from Britain to Japan.

Will is a researcher, teacher and author who specialises in British and Irish cultural history. He received his PhD from the University of Reading.

Complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits will be served during an interval part-way through this session.

Christmas Wreath Workshop – E072 (Afternoon)

Join us for a session of crafty, festive fun with florist Michelle Rust, who will guide you through the process of creating your own beautiful door wreath whilst you enjoy tea, coffee, mince pies and mulled wine.

All materials will be provided and are included in the cost of this workshop. Choose from one of our three sessions: morning, afternoon or evening. Groups are kept to a maximum of 10 per session.

Christmas Wreath Workshop – E071 (Morning)

Join us for a session of crafty, festive fun with florist Michelle Rust, who will guide you through the process of creating your own beautiful door wreath whilst you enjoy tea, coffee, mince pies and mulled wine.

All materials will be provided and are included in the cost of this workshop. Choose from one of our three sessions: morning, afternoon or evening. Groups are kept to a maximum of 10 per session.

Christmas Wreath Workshop – E070 (Evening)

Join us for a session of crafty, festive fun with florist Michelle Rust, who will guide you through the process of creating your own beautiful door wreath whilst you enjoy tea, coffee, mince pies and mulled wine.

All materials will be provided and are included in the cost of this workshop. Choose from one of our three sessions: morning, afternoon or evening. Groups are kept to a maximum of 10 per session.

The Institute’s Archive Scrapbooks – A Treasure Trove of Guildford History – T312 (Face to Face & Online)

Local historian David Rose reveals some of the fantastic local newspaper and magazine cuttings, photographs and illustrations, contained in Scrapbook A, one of a number of volumes in Guildford Institute’s archive collection.

Compiled in the late 1920s, the scrapbook is a wonderful glimpse into the history of Guildford and its town centre, as perceived at the time. This illustrated talk will include plenty of cuttings and images from the scrapbook, which promises to be a local history talk like no other!

The GI Library will be open before the talk from 1pm.

The Legend of Faust as Portrayed in Gounod’s Opera – T311 (Face to Face)

Stephen Oliver and Lewis Gaston are the stage and music directors for Guildford Opera’s next production, Gounod’s opera Faust.

When Gounod wrote Faust in the mid-nineteenth century, the opera world revolved around Paris and the French Grand Opera scene.

Steven and Lewis will explore the medieval origins of the Faust legend and show how Gounod transforms it into a timeless, tragic love story. Recordings of excerpts from the opera will be included to focus on particular points of musical interest.

To support the work of Guildford Opera The Guildford Institute will be offering this talk free of charge

Sweeney Todd: Romance, Riches & Retribution – T310 (Face to Face & Online)

Learn more about the fictional character who became a legend; the story of a barber in Fleet Street who killed his victims and sent them off to Mrs Lovett’s pie shop!

Speaker Steve Herra will answer questions such as how old was Sweeney Todd when he went to Newgate prison? What was a ‘Flying Barber’? What was the name of Sweeney Todd’s accomplice and the significance of the revolving chair? What happened to Mrs Lovett, and how many victims were there?

Women of the Raj – T309 (Face to Face & Online)

When colonial administrators arrived to take over from the East India Company, they were often accompanied by their wives, who only spoke English. The language barrier meant that these women mixed solely with other English-speaking wives, and were unable to communicate with their household staff.

Brian Freeland’s career included eight long theatre tours of the Indian sub-continent, which began his fascination with the history of British India. In this talk, Brian will bring together life stories from his research using letters, diaries and memoirs

The Antikythera Mechanism – T308 (Face to Face & Online)

In 1901, Greek divers made the astounding discovery of a Roman-era shipwreck off the island of Antikythera in the Aegean Sea. Amongst other treasure, dives revealed lumps of bronze which were pieces of an ancient Greek ‘computer’ approximately 2,000 years old. This is now known as the Antikythera mechanism, and is depicted in the latest Indiana Jones adventure movie as The Dial of Destiny.

Engineer, inventor and tech entrepreneur Christopher Glasow will tell the story of how researchers gradually revealed its amazing capabilities, taking decades to piece together its intricate workings.

Myths of the Blitz – T307 (Face to Face & Online)

There is a general belief that during World War II, the nation pulled together for the common good. In reality crime rates rocketed, the black market exploited a need for profit (sometimes with fatal consequences), evacuee children suffered abuse and neglect, and mass fatalities resulted, not from enemy action, but from carelessness and neglect of poorer citizens.

Local author and historian, Kathy Atherton, will uncover aspects of war that were deliberately buried by politicians and propagandists for fear of undermining morale. Opportunities for crime made possible by the blackout and Blitz, peddling dangerous goods, and the neglect of working class communities.

Surrey Space4Nature Project – T306 (Face to Face & Online)

Andrew Jamieson & Louis Harrington Edmans

Space4Nature is a partnership between the University of Surrey, Surrey Wildlife Trust, Buglife and the Painshill Park Trust.

Andrew will describe how the team is enlisting the help of the public in the newly-emerging field of Earth Observation, combining satellite technology and artificial intelligence to monitor and improve wildlife habitats.

Louis will explain his work within the overall project, promoting and implementing Buglife’s ‘B-Lines’ initiative (the world’s largest habitat connectivity project). These insect superhighways will reconnect our fragmented countryside and allow pollinators, invertebrates and other wildlife to thrive.

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