We are a friendly branch of The Arts Society that meets in Grayshott Village Hall on the first Thursday of the month at 2:00pm. We also run regular visits to places of interest. Visitors are welcome at all our events.
The core activities for members are monthly lectures by world experts, a programme of visits, including virtual visits (see below) and a couple of special interest days in the course of the year. We also arrange a multi-day tour and social events such as a bridge-drive and a Christmas lunch. We support arts initiatives locally through the Arts Volunteers programme and support Heritage through volunteering activities. We have also worked with churches to provide Church Trails to introduce children to the architecture and content of churches.
There are ten lectures each year (January to June and September to December) held at 2pm and usually on the first Thursday of the month in Grayshott Village Hall. Tea and biscuits are served after each meeting so that members can discuss the lecture and enjoy the company of other members.
Lectures by world class experts are both informative and entertaining, covering a wide range from painting to pottery, archaeology to architecture, art, museums to music, textiles to theatre.
We normally make around three or four day visits every year to complement our series of talks. Most are one day visits in London and the Home Counties with knowledgeable guides to a wide range of places of interest or to major exhibitions. Where possible, we try to arrange visits that link with the subject of one of our recent talks. We usually travel by comfortable coach to and from the centre of Grayshott. Sometimes members drive to a more local venue using their own cars, sharing as necessary. We also arrange occasional longer tou
rs of a few days either further afield in the UK or abroad (see below). There’s nothing like seeing great art, craft and architecture at first hand to learn and get inspiration – and all the better in the company of others with whom you can talk and maybe make new friends. So come and join us on our visits. You’ll get a warm welcome.
During the pandemic, we also started to show virtual tours, both in the UK and overseas, using Zoom technology and in partnership with other Hampshire Societies. These proved very popular and we have continued these during the winter months. The tours last an hour to and hour and a half are led by expert guides, some of them Arts Society lecturers. Tours have so far enabled us to visit from our armchairs the rich histories of London’s East End and of York, Rome, The Netherlands and as far afield as Japan and Uzbekhistan.
We have at least two Special Interest Days every year, which are always highly entertaining and instructive. We invite a lecturer, an expert in their field accredited by The Arts Society, to come and give us three lectures on a particular subject. There are two lectures in the morning, a break for lunch, and a final lecture in the afternoon. Members invariably enjoy these days, and feel that not only have they learnt a great deal, but have been well-entertained as well. The more intimate and informal atmosphere created by having a smaller group, means that there are more questions and detailed answers, throughout the day. Past Special Interest Days have included: New York Art and Architecture, Treasures of the Silk Route, A Social History of Opera, Antique and Contemporary Jewellery, The Ancient Maya and The Golden Age of Dutch Art. Visitors are always very welcome, as are new members who have perhaps never been to these enjoyable days.
We aim to organise an annual tour of typically 4 – 6 days duration, either in the UK or abroad, using the services of a well established tour company and high quality guides to explore the artistic and historical heritage of an area. Recent overseas tours have included Lisbon, Vienna, Bologna and around, Amsterdam and in the UK, Shropshire and the Potteries and Norwich and Norfolk.
About The Arts Society
The Arts Society is a leading arts education charity with a global network of over 380 local Societies, which bring people together through a shared curiosity for the arts. Our events provide welcoming places – locally, nationally and globally – to hear expert lecturers share their specialist knowledge about the arts. Our 80,000+ members contribute to and preserve our artistic heritage through volunteering and grants. Our strength is our people, joined together by a passion for the arts which can nourish and empower us all. Our work creates a better, healthier and more connected society.