Festival marking 950th anniversary of Battle of Hastings hailed a success

ROOT1066, the international contemporary arts festival that commemorated the Battle of Hastings, has been hailed a success by organisers.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Dec 2016, 12:53 BST
Updated 29th Dec 2016, 15:03 BST

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Opening of ROOT1066 on Hastings Pier: iy_Project:The nature of sound and light. Photo by Sid Saunders. SUS-161109-172151001Opening of ROOT1066 on Hastings Pier: iy_Project:The nature of sound and light. Photo by Sid Saunders. SUS-161109-172151001
Opening of ROOT1066 on Hastings Pier: iy_Project:The nature of sound and light. Photo by Sid Saunders. SUS-161109-172151001

Marking the 950th anniversary of William the Conqueror’s invasion of England, the festival brought innovative and fresh perspectives on the history and legacy of 1066 from artists working in both Britain and France.

There were specially commissioned works, exhibitions and performances staged across East Sussex by internationally renowned artists, companies and community groups.

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Highlights of the festival included The Story of Hastings in 66 Objects at Hastings Museum, Marcus Harvey’s ‘Inselaffe’ exhibition at Jerwood Gallery, iy_project – a light and sound event on Hastings Pier by Chris Levine, and PUSH, a community opera from Battle Festival.

The festival involved 130 partner organisations and community groups, who reached more than 3,750 participants and 75,000 people.

Polly Gifford, ROOT1066 festival director, said: “The ROOT1066 International Festival gave us six fantastically creative weeks of exhibitions, performances and events from a wonderful array of artists.

“We wanted to celebrate our connections with our Norman neighbours and the programme, which included 13 new commissions and premieres, and explored some big themes such as who are we?, where do we come from? and what is important to us?

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“The festival was a huge collaborative effort and we’d like to thank Hastings Borough Council, Arts Council England and the many other funders, sponsors, supporters and volunteers who helped make it happen.”

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Related topics:EnglandHastings Borough CouncilBritainFranceEast Sussex