New Contemporary Arts Programme

New Contemporary Arts Programme announced Hello, The Bronte Society is delighted to announce its new contemporary arts programme for March to September 2015. Featuring readings from high profile writers, exhibitions, festivals, events and more, the programme showcases and celebrates the ways in which contemporary writers and artists are inspired by the Brontes and their home. The programme is generously supported by Arts Council England. We hope we might see you at one of our events! From all at the Bronte Parsonage Museum William Atkins: The Moor: Life, Landscape, Literature Friday 17 April, 7.30pm West Lane Centre, Haworth The Moor: Lives, Landscape, Literature follows a journey on foot through Britain's moorlands. The account is both travelogue and natural history, and an exploration of moorland’s uniquely captivating position in our literature, history and psyche. In this event, William Atkins brings in literary works such as Wuthering Heights, Hound of the Baskervilles and Lorna Doone. The Moor was described by The Guardian as ‘an ambitious mix of history, topography, literary criticism and nature writing, in the tradition of WG Sebald, Robert MacFarlane and Olivia Laing.’ Tickets £6 and should be booked in advance by clicking here or phoning 01535 640188. Caryl Phillips: The Lost Child Friday 1 May, 7pm West Lane Centre, Haworth Novelist Caryl Phillips visits Haworth to discuss his new novel The Lost Child. Phillips boldly re-imagines Wuthering Heights in 1960s Leeds in a haunting novel about migration, social exclusion and the difficulties of family. In association with the University of Central Lancashire. Tickets £6 and should be booked in advance by clicking here or phoning 01535 640188. The Brontes and War Friday 5 June, 3pm West Lane Centre, Haworth Ferocious battles and violent, military men dominate the landscape of Charlotte and Branwell’s juvenilia. To complement the current exhibition at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, The Brontës, War and Waterloo, co-curator Emma Butcher looks more closely at the military material the Brontës read, revealing how their interest in war extended far beyond the realms of the recent Napoleonic conflicts, and reached as far back as classical times. Tickets £6 and are bookable by clicking here or emailing summerfestival@bronte.org.uk. An Evening with Simon Armitage Saturday 6 June, 8pm West Lane Centre, Haworth The popular poet returns to Haworth as part of the Brontë Society’s annual festival weekend, to present his new memoir Walking Away, the sequel to his hugely successful book Walking Home, and readings from his poetry. Simon Armitage is Professor of Poetry at the University of Sheffield. He has published over a dozen collections of poetry including Paper Aeroplane (2014): a selection marking the 25th anniversary of the appearance of his ground-breaking debut collection Zoom! Armitage is also a playwright, novelist, song lyricist and broadcaster. The recipient of numerous awards, Armitage was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2004 and awarded the CBE for services to poetry in 2010. Tickets are £12. Please note there is priority booking for Bronte Society members and booking to the public will open online on Tuesday 5 May 2015. The Silent Wild: Diane Howse Friday 19 June to Friday 25 September Brontë Parsonage Museum We read and write in silence. Lines on a page soundlessly evoke whole worlds of meaning, and these silent words have an extraordinary power to conjure sound, noise and commotion. This exhibition by Diane Howse uses text, performance, film and sound to explore the sonic landscapes within the Brontës’ texts. Diane Howse is based in Yorkshire and works as both an artist and curator. She is interested in creating new possibilities for presenting work in alternative locations and has shown work at many different and sometimes unexpected sites. The project is delivered in association with a team of creatives: filmmaker Adam Baroukh, choreographer Carolyn Choa, poet Thomas A. Clark, calligrapher Gigi Leung and musician and sound artist Lemma Redda. Exhibition free with admission to the Museum. The Silent Wild: A Symposium on Art and Sound Friday 18 September, 10am-4pm University of Leeds Taking the exhibition The Silent Wild as a starting point, this conference considers the use of sound in contemporary art and heritage sites: Why has sound become a powerful means of uncovering a hidden past for many visual artists?  How does its use in a heritage context affect the artist, site and viewer? How does sound fit into the wider arts sector, and what are the implications for both contemporary art practice and curating? In association with the Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage, University of Leeds. Tickets £25 (£15 concessions) and can be booked using the link here. For further information please contact the Arts Officer: events@bronte.org.uk / 01535 640188. Bronte Festival of Womens Writing Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September 2015 Brontë Parsonage Museum and other venues in Haworth The Brontë Festival of Women’s Writing returns for its fifth year, with a focus on supporting and showcasing contemporary women’s writing. The programme will include creative writing workshops, family events as well as high profile and emerging writers discussing their work. The full programme will be released in July, to receive details as soon as they are released join our mailing list here, or contact the Arts Officer: events@bronte.org.uk/ 01535 640188.