Emsworth Arts Trail promises wide-ranging artistic delights

This year it's a festival which comes with very nearly 100 artists – and a long track record of success behind it, the perfect platform from which to start to contemplate next year's silver-anniversary edition.

2025 is promising “a journey of artistic exploration” across two weekends – April 26-27 and May 3, 4 and 5. Visit the website emsworthartstrail.org.uk to find out more about the artists and pick up a trail guide in shops throughout Emsworth.

Carol Price, chairman of Emsworth Arts Trail since 2015, is delighted with the way it has all come together. For the first decade the event was part of Havant’s May Days alongside Waterlooville, Hayling and Havant: “Havant had got some arts funding for the idea but the funding stopped in 2011 and that was when we decided to go independent. That first year there were 36 of us but now this year there are 98 artists.

“And I think what makes it so successful is being able to walk to every single venue. Nothing is outside a mile from the town square unlike Chichester where you have got a much bigger area, where you can visit somebody in Chichester and then go to Bognor or wherever. And they do well, yes, but we get a lot of footfall because the artists are also close to each other.”

The trail’s adopt an artist scheme is another part of the success: “When we took it over in 2011-12 we started an adopt an artist for businesses scheme. That year 14 businesses adopted an artist. This year 49 businesses have adopted 51 artists.”

Also part of the trail’s success is its the sheer variety: “We have got, I think, 14 new people this year and it's great to have that range and also new faces. I really enjoy being part of it. We have got eight on our committee and unlike most committees there is nobody with a huge ego! They're all brilliant.”

And the lovely thing is that through the committee they can encourage a real artistic community: “We have a full exhibitors' meeting and people get the chance to talk to each other and work out how to price things and what they will do on the day. And when I see somebody new turn up, then I will introduce them to other people so they can get to know other people.

“People ask me how many years I want to carry on doing this, and I just think if I didn't do this, then what would I be doing! It starts in October with the planning and it finishes in May, and of course I enjoy it. It's a wonderful team and it's great to meet up with them and spend time with them and think of new ideas and new things. People are so creative that it is just a wonderful thing to do.”