Old Shoreham Heritage Festival highlights the passion to build a community in the historic heart of Shoreham-by-Sea

A private viewing of New Art for Old Shoreham at St Nicolas Church on Friday included an opportunity to meet the artists, organisers and sponsors; view the artworks; preview the heritage trail and here from some of the supporters.

Gabe Crisp, former district councillor and co-chair of FOldS, said: "It is really exciting that this amazing festival has been pulled together. The church looks spectacular and it is really lovely to have this new art of Old Shoreham.

"The Friends of Old Shoreham has been going properly for nine months. There really is a demand in this community for something to represent us. Lots of things happen in the main town. There are three main strands – heritage, building a community here for people who live north of the Upper Shoreham Road, and environment, which is so important.

"Lots of people care about the environment, especially our precious green gap. Over the past 30 years, so much building has taken place on our flood plain. It has taken away the views that many of us enjoy and it's affected pollution in the river.

"We need to protect what we have got left. We want to be the conduit, the eyes and ears on the ground, the local people speaking to all the stakeholders."

The Routes-Networks-Connections art exhibition is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Old Shoreham Conservation Area, organised by the Friends of Old Shoreham (FOldS) with the Friends of St Nicolas Church to celebrate the milestone.

Professional and non-professional artists were invited to take part and the work of 46 artists and 20 musicians has been included in the Old Shoreham Heritage Festival.

Adur Council leader Jeremy Gardner said: "What I see this festival as being about is valuing heritage, valuing community and valuing the environment. I am delighted to see in the programme sessions such as Action for Change.

"As a new council, we have said that we want to work with the community and as part of the community and, with few resources around, we want to see communities empowered and acting."

Old Shoreham is the largest part and historic heart of Shoreham-by-Sea. Post war urbanisation means a substantial portion of the community now lives in the area but there is now a greater focus on New Shoreham, the town centre.

East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tom Rutland said: "Heritage is important to us all. It gives us a sense of our ancestry, our history, our sense of belonging and mutual bonds with those who have come before us. It shapes the Shoreham that we live in today and influences the future of the Shoreham that we want to build together."

Running at St Nicolas Church until September 15, the art exhibition showcases original artwork from people of diverse ages and backgrounds, working in a range of media including collage, paint, photography and sculpture.

Karen Simporis, chair of the Adur and Worthing Trust, explained why the exhibition had been chosen for a Creative Commissions grant and congratulated the artists and organisers.

The exhibition follows the theme of Routes-Networks-Connections promoted by the national Heritage Open Days and built into the programme of events for the Old Shoreham Heritage Festival.

Father James Grant, rector at St Nicolas Church, said: "It is absolutely wonderful to see all the art and to see this church transformed for a little while. It has been a fascinating journey up to this point.

"One of the things I have always been passionate about is the area north of the A270 because it always feels that there is very little infrastructure, very little there. Here are the churches that are able to help and able to be space for the community, and that is happening today. It is just absolutely amazing. That is exactly what our church is about, to bring people together."