Tuesday 26 August 2014

The Saint Hill International Arts Festival 2014, now in its 23rd Year

Pablo Carl Röhrig with his Saint Hill International Festival Lifetime Achievement Award 2014. Photo by Mark McQuade.
East Grinstead - From the 31st July to 10th August, the Saint Hill International Festival (www.arts-festival.org) attracted local and international artists from all walks of life.

The Saint Hill International Arts Festival was inspired by Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard who stressed the importance of the role that art plays in society and he strongly encouraged artistic creativity in all its forms. The purpose of the Festival is to inspire artists into greater productivity. Saint Hill Manor was L. Ron Hubbard's family home from 1959-1967.

The Festival’s main event, The Art Garden, included participation from the world-renowned German naturalism fantasy painter, Pablo Carl Röhrig (www.roehrigart.com), and from local painters Jane Indigo Moore, Gil Bustamante, Mira Reichl, Susanne Lawrence, Kitty Atkinson-Guy, Katherine Khann and Rory O’Neill.

Whilst the painters painted, musicians entertained both painters and visitors to the Art Garden alike. The musicians were Hungarian violinist Judit Szabo, Italian guitarist and singer Francesco Andrianni, Australian singer songwriter Neil Lemon with performances by Jane Billing and Angie Lemon.

The Festival included a poetry workshop, an arts quiz and the Jive Aces' Summertime Swing on 3rd August which was a roaring success!

Proceedings ended style with the annual Classical Concert presented by Tom Hardy and the Blaze Ensemble, attended by the Deputy Mayors of East Grinstead and Redbridge. The orchestra, composed entirely of wind instruments, performed works by Mozart and Gounod.

During the interval, this year's Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to painter Pablo Carl Röhrig by the Executive Producer of the Festival, Sheila Gaiman, who said: "We searched high and low for the world's very best artists to present this award to, and we are very honoured to be giving it, this year, to someone who has won many International and national awards throughout his career, including one for the best artwork of the year in Germany. This year, the Saint Hill International Festival Lifetime Achievement Award goes to the fabulous Pablo Carl Röhrig. We wonder who we will discover next year."

Click here for additional information and photos of the Festival, and here for photos of the Classical Concert.

About Saint Hill Manor

Saint Hill Manor, the former home of L. Ron Hubbard, located just outside East Grinstead, is a fine 18th century sandstone building. Concerts, plays, conferences and other events regularly take place here and it is also one of the few historical attractions to remain open to the public throughout the year. Saint Hill Manor is also the head office for the Church of Scientology, UK.

For more information, please contact:

Liz Ostermann
Saint Hill Manor
www.sainthillmanor.org.uk
info@sainthillmanor.org.uk
01342 315226