Celebration of creative talent at inaugural Newhaven Festival

Doing the talking ... Alistair Appleton will be interviewing Newhaven residents

Newhaven Town Council is launching the festival to showcase the wonderful people, locations and events happening in the town.

The festival aims to recognise and celebrate the creative talent in Newhaven, and almost all the events are run by local professionals.

This weekend there are three events on offer, coinciding with the start of the Artwave Festival across Lewes district.

From tomorrow (Saturday) until Friday, August 24, St Michael’s Church will transform into a restorative space to listen to Newhaven’s birdsong.

You can sit in the peaceful 12th century Norman church between 10.30am and 5.30pm, surrounded by the sounds of birds singing, recorded in Newhaven’s hills, cliffs and woodland.

Dr Alice Eldridge, who has appeared on television’s Spring Watch, has provided the recordings, with help from the Rev Martin Miller and members of the St Michael’s congregation.

TV presenter and psychotherapist Alistair Appleton will host an event on Sunday (August 19) between 10.30am to 4.30pm at the RNLI building in West Quay, Newhaven BN9 9BX.

Alistair will be interviewing residents and encouraging them to discuss all things Newhaven-related.

What’s your favourite part of the town? What’s the downside of living here? What happened for you here? Is there a magic spot that summons memories for you?

The interviews will be made into a montage of Newhaveners talking about their town. You can turn up on the day or email in advance, [email protected], if you’d like to say something.

The third event, Look Up Newhaven with Dr Cara Courage, involves an informal urban ramble through the town. Walkers should meet at the station at 11am on Sunday.

Participants are encouraged to come with their own local knowledge and favourite buildings to add to the route. The ramble is expected to last about 90 minutes and will include some inclines. Booking is essential and can be done via: Newhavenfestival.co.uk

The festival continues until Sunday, September 2, and there are many more exciting events to check out.

The council welcomes applications from individuals and groups who want to get involved with the inaugural event. Visit: Newhavenfestival.co.uk to find out more.