Page 30 - Oundle Life January 2022

ARTS SOCIETY
Getting out and about...
Oundle has had an Arts Society for over 20 years (formerly NADFAS - National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies) and our primary business has been to put on lectures for members once a month in the Barnwell Village Hall. Initially, these were, as
the NADFAS title suggested,
mainly on the decorative fine
arts. Today, the lectures can
encompass all the arts across a wide spectrum of topics.
We have around 300 members and up to 200 regularly attend our lectures at 11am-12noon on the third Friday each month – or they DID before the pandemic! Not to be thwarted, however, we have organised a series of lectures for the past twenty months or so using Zoom. These have been very warmly welcomed and patronised by our members. As I write we are planning our first ‘hybrid’ lecture in January (‘George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, the handsomest man in 17th century
Europe’ – and his place as an art collector), when there will be a lecture in the hall for those who wish to attend, whilst others can watch the live stream at home.
The success of our lectures,
whether before the pandemic
or via Zoom, is down to the
outstanding standard of lecturers
who are part of The Arts Society
Directory. We are hoping, of
course, that 2022 will see us back to regular meetings in Barnwell Village Hall, with the hybrid lectures easing us back into it.
What we are also hoping to resume is our extensive programme of other activities which have been on hold during the pandemic. These have included Study Days: three lectures with lunch included on such topics as Russian Art,
Islamic Art and Calligraphy and Byzantine Art and Religious Icons. Regular trips and visits were organised in summer – our last trip would have been to the revamped Sutton Hoo site, for example, as well as trips to opera in Milton Keynes in autumn
or, latterly, for concerts at the Birmingham Symphony Hall. Over the years we have had Volunteering teams involved in
Church Recording, Heritage volunteer work and developing Trails of Discovery in villages and around churches.
We are also very proud of our support for local arts groups and organisations through our Arts in the Community programme. Currently, we support Creative Oundle by sponsoring concerts, the Oundle Music and Drama Festival as sponsor of the Arts Society Oundle Young Musician Award – I presented this year’s
award to Christopher Trotter (trombone) from Kingsthorpe at the Junior Music Competition in
St Peter’s Church, and we support several other local arts groups with one off donations or longer term support which can be found on our website.
We are very keen to re-boot all these activities but we do need more help on the Committee
to do so. If you are interested
in joining us as a member, our contact details are on the website, and you will be made
most welcome. For members, the National Arts Society also sends regular detail of events and items of interest in the Arts world.
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Nigel Harper, Chairman
Contact us at: www.theartssocietyoundle.org.uk