Below are some specific events coming up. Click here to go to a list of regular events and activities at Ashburton Arts. To be kept up to date with everything here, join our mailing list here. There’s info about getting tickets, accessibility, how to find us and parking here.
September 2018
Tue 4: Amnesty International Letter Writing Group (monthly), 6.30pm
Thu 6: Majidah Belly Dancing with Pat Langman (weekly), allwelcome. 6.30pm
Fri 7: Platform Cinema meeting contact harry.staniland@gmail.com for more info.
Sat 8: Makers Market (Forecourt – inside if wet). 10am – 2pm [NB – it’s Food Festival Day]
Sat 8: The Gathering: music session, all welcome to play, sing, listen. 10am – noon.
(2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month)
Sun 9: Hiroki Okano, Nigel Shaw plus guests from Japan bringing music, dance and fashion. 7pm – 11pm
Tickets, and more details: seventhwavemusic.co.uk/events/temple-and-tor-concert. Here’s a Facebook event to share/invite.
Mon 10: Yoga with Chris Willis starts. Various times on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (Weekly).
Tue 11: Ashburton Arts Community Choir. All welcome – no experience necessary.
Drop in any week. More info from Andy Williamson, andy@ashburtonarts.org.uk
Thu 13: Jacob & Drinkwater “Standout New Folk” (BBC 6Music) “Standout New Folk” (Radio 2 magazine). 7.30pm. Tickets here. Facebook event here.
Sat 15: Open House at Ash Arts 10am – 12noon.
Sun 16: Songs for the Unsung.100,000 Poets for Change – Susan Taylor, Elisabeth Rowe, Rose Cook and Jennie Osborne will be presenting the Devon launch of the Grey Hen anthology. Free event with refreshments and music from Raising the Roof (barbershop quartet) alongside a wide range of poems about forgotten and overlooked lives. 7.30pm More info here.
Tue 18: Bingo, Ashburton Community Care. 2pm – 3.30pm. All welcome. (monthly)
Call Suzy Williamson on 01364 712 013 for more info.
Fri 21: Geoff Lakeman with Em Marshall (support). More details here. 7.30pm. Tickets here.
This is going to be popular – do book in advance.
Sat 22: Open House and The Gathering (music session). 10am – noon-ish.
Sat 22: Tea Dance, 2pm – 4pm. Hosted by Portreeve Jenny Giles. All welcome. Entry £5 on the door.
Sat 22: JIM – Journeys In Music. 6 – 8pm. Jackie Lake runs these events. She says, “A monthly movement and dance workshop with no guidance, targets, expectations or judgements.” More here.
Sun 23: Jonathan Storey, Solo Violin Recital. Works by Bach and Simon Wills. 4pm. More details soon.
This is the first of an autumn series of Sunday afternoon concerts, through the autumn and winter, featuring a wide range of styles.
Sunday 23: Babelfish. Contemporary jazz of the highest quality, with Brigitte Beraha on vocals, Barry Green on piano, Paul Clarvis on drums and Chris Laurence on bass. Tickets and more info here.
Tue 25: A new series of dance classes begins in October for children and adults, including Flamenco and Bollywood with Karina Gracia, who did a wonderful Flamenco performance here in July. Free tasters on 25 Sept:
5pm Children’s session: More here: UnKaGeD;
6pm Bollywood;
7pm Flamenco;
8pm Bollywood (already full)
These have been announced already on Facebook, and are proving popular, hence the extra Bollywood session at 6. For all these, you must book by emailing Karina on Danceflamenco@live.com
Thu 27: North Korea: Talk and Film Screening with Ulicke Burke, who’s worked in North Korea doing research into treating TB patients. Looks like being a fascinating insight into this secretive country that’s getting much more attention recently. More details soon.
Fri 28: Platform Cinema: Amelie (15)
On the last Friday of each month, this group screens a feature film. Often with food and drink to go with the theme of the film. Booking details soon.
Sat 29 at St Andrew’s Church (also on Thu 27 and Fri 28): MED Theatre presents Stapledon – NB this is not an Ashburton Arts event, and is happening at St Andrew’s Church, 100m further up West Street.
Sun 30: Natural Causes, Twitcher and Larksong 4pm. This contemporary quartet is releasing settings of poems by Peter Oswald. More info here. Not really jazz, or folk, or classical – but lovely music.
OCTOBER 2018
Fri 5 October: Whitehouse Sessions presents: Mae Karthauser Trio More Info.
Sat 6 October: The Arts Centre becomes a Fun Palace thanks to Ashburton Library. It’s all about skill sharing – yours and other people’s, so we can learn from each other in a fun way. More info about this event here and more about this national project on the Fun Palaces website. From 10am.
Sat 6 October: Megavissey Male Voice Choir performing a benefit concert for Ashburton Arts. More details soon.
Sun 7 October: East Dartmoor Literary Day. Two of the key speakers are Professor Kent Fedorowich (National Advisor for the BBC’s World War 1 at Home Series) & Debbey Clitheroe
(Finalist SOE Selection Series BBC 2 2018) Other speakers to follow. A Short Story Competition will be held for 4 age groups 8 to 11,12to 15, 16 to 18 and over 18. Book fair and an author’s forum. New books from local authors will be launched including Devon War Heroes from WW2 which features the remarkable wartime experiences of Doctor Sandy Mills who was a GP in Ashburton for 27 years from 1947. More here.
Sun 7 October: The very wonderful Liane Carroll in concert. More details soon. 7.30pm.
Fri 12 October: Rambunctious Social Club presents Bristol’s Dockside Orchestra. Superb 12 piece latin orchestra – salsa, rhumba, cha-cha-cha with room to dance. Here’s a taste. More details soon.
Sun 14 October: Pete Canter & Peter Tamblyn. Fine jazz saxophonist doubling on upright bass and excellent pianist doubling on cello playing swing, bebop & latin jazz.
Pete Canter – saxophone & double bass, Peter Tamblyn – piano. 4pm. Booking info soon.
Wed 17 October: Beth Rowley, with Peter J McCauley and Yvonne Lyon. Of Beth’s recent album, Mojo wrote: “Rowley returns with a deeper sound…A haze of slide guitar and her blue velvet voice build rich, soundtracky textures” **** . Booking details soon.
Fri 19 October: Robert Mitchell Trio. One of the UK’s top jazz pianists on a return visit to Ashburton after a stunning performance last year at St Lawrence Chapel. Here’s some video of the Robert Mitchell Trio in action
Sat 20 October: Moscow Drug Club. Fantastic musicians who know how to put on a show. More info soon. See moscowdrugclub.com for more about this great band.
Wed 24 October: Flor Amargo (tbc) – a possible appearance by this Mexican street performer extraordinaire. More news about this soon.
Fri 26 October: Platform Cinema film screening. More info soon.
Sun 28 October: The Gin Bowlers. This madcap jazz band last performed here when it was still the Methodist Church, and put the building to good use, appearing all over it! 4pm. More soon.
November 2018
Fri 2 November: The Vinyl Countdown: Local author Philip Reeve is interviewed by local journalist Sophie Pierce about his favourite music. This is a fundraising event for the SUDEP Action Charity, in memory of Sophie’s son Felix, who died from this condition last year.
Sat 3 November: Ashburton’s inaugural REPAIR CAFE. Don’t throw away that lamp/radio/printer/saw/plane – it might be able to be repaired or sharpened. This is all part of the movement to reduce waste by repairing things rather than sending them to landfill, and using up valuable natural resources in making an unnecessary new thing. More about this here.
Fri 9 November: MA BESSIE AND HER BLUES TROUPE – a narrated show about Bessie Smith “Empress of the Blues and Jazz” with support from The Rag and Moan Men. More info soon. Here’s a taste of Ma Bessie on Youtube…
Sun 11 Nov: A Concert for Remembrance. TBC. Full programme and booking details very soon. 3.30pm.
Sun 11 Nov: “Dwarka, A Journey” featuring music from folk trio Gingang (Tony Bayliss & Pete Bingham of Jiggerypipery, plus Louis Bingham). The music accompanies Virgina Pope‘s story Hooves in the Heather of Dwarka, born in the Arabian desert, taken by the British army to India, thence to Dartmoor and finally to the Prince of Wales’s stud at Tor Royal. His bones rest in the Natural History Museum in London, but his spirit is free. Booking, etc details soon. 7.30pm
Wed 14 Nov: Double Bill: Scottish singer Adam Beattie and Sonny Johns (The Rail Abandon)
Fri 16 November: Whitehouse Sessions presents: Reg Meuross with Harbottle & Jonas. More info soon.
Sun 18 November: Haldon String Quartet. 4pm. More info soon.
Fri 23 November: Platform Cinema film screening. More details soon.
Sat 24 Nov: Simon Mayor & Hilary James. (TBC) – ‘A witty and captivating mix of folk, blues, swing and classical showstoppers, spiced with a unique brand of off-beat humour.’ The Guardian See mayorandjames.com
Sun 25 Nov: Simon Mayor & Hilary James – Family Concert – very child-friendly (TBC). 4pm.
December 2018
Sat 1 December: Zoe Gilby Quartet. A north-eastern singer on tour in the South West.
Sun 2 December: Winter Light Nigel Shaw Carolyn Hillier (More details soon).
Mon 3 December: Jean Toussaint Quintet. Top UK saxophonist with a superb band on a national tour.
Sat 8 December: Ashburton Singers Afternoon.
Sun 9 December: Meridianum Ensemble – this large world music group features musicians from the UK (inc Griselda Sanderson and Louis Bingham) and Portugal. Fascinating sounds. See the Meridianum Ensemble website for more about the band. More details soon.
14 or 15 or 16 December: Newton Abbot Orchestra – Christmas Concert. More details soon.
Sun 16 December: Helena Kay’s KIM Trio. More details soon.
Fri 21 December: Soulstice! Soulful and Funky grooves from some of the top local musical talent, with Ashburton Community Choir! Details TBC.
What was on?
Here are some of the things that have happened in the past:
2018
July 2018
Tuesday 10 July. Glorious Chorus. 7.30pm
This fabulous Devon-based performance choir has gone from strength to strength under the expert leadership of award-winning songwriter/ director Helen Yeomans. With prestigious festival shows behind them – including an appearance at the Voices Now Festival at London’s Roundhouse in 2017 – this choir is as exciting to watch as to hear.
Sunday 15 July. Three Cane Whale. Acoustic improvised music from Bristol, with films (including one of Dartmoor).
Tuesday 17 July. Terry Seabrook (British Jazz keyboard legend) & Peter Fraize (visiting US saxophonist), plus band.
Wednesday 18 July. Ashburton Arts AGM. All welcome. More information here when available.
Saturday 21 July. 7pm. Newton Abbot Orchestra Summer Prom Concert.
Overture to Nabucco – Verdi
Serenade No.1 in D for Orch (slow movement only) – Brahms
Our Town – Copland
Lucy Long (featuring Bassoon soloist – Chris Edworthy) – arr. John Key
Typewriter (featuring Typewriter soloist – Steve Bentley) – Leroy Anderson
— Interval —
1812 Overture – Tchaikovsky (with audience ‘canon-fire’ participation)
Fantasies of British Sea Songs – Wood
WWI Songs – arr. J Key
Jerusalem – Parry
Pomp & Circumstance March No.1 (Land of Hope of Glory) – Elgar
June 2018
Sunday 3 June. Jazz with Misbehavin’, a great quartet featuring singer Helen Porter. £13 or £10 or £6 (you choose). 8pm. Book here.
Saturday 16 June. JIM Journeys in Music. An evening for people who simply love to move to music. 6pm – 8pm. Drop in £8 / £6 concessions. Email Jackie Lake for more info.
*Please arrive a few minutes early to allow yourself time to settle in; last entry is 6.20pm
Thursday 21 June. Jazz from Mike & Kate Westbrook’s GRANITE. This is part of the Dartmoor Resonance Music Festival. More Details and Tickets.
Friday 29 June. James Frost Band and Jubilation! Choir, 7pm. Tickets £10 with £8 concessions for anyone who needs one. More details and advance tickets here.
May 2018
Monday 28 May. Italian Jazz quartet DuGong. 8pm. £13 or £10 or £6 (you choose) Book here. More details…
Saturday 26 May. Dragons & Orangutans with Clive Pig. Tall tales and true from recent adventures in China and Malaysia. Admission FREE. 11am – 12noon. Suitable for ages 5 – 5555.
Friday 25 May. Platform Cinema presents the all-time classic movie, Withnail & I, on the big screen in the main hall. Doors 7pm. Film 7.30. Bar & snacks. Book Here. £7 in advance or Pay What You Can on the door
Friday 18 – Sunday 20 May. N-E-W…Ideas 2018. The whole building transformed into Art. FREE ADMISSION. Full details…