Curious Arts Festival

A new year brings thrilling news from Curious Arts Festival… After five glorious years at Pylewell Park, we are embarking upon an exciting new partnership with the uniquely dynamic and socially conscious Byline Festival in 2019.
CURIOUS ARTS x BYLINE FESTIVAL brings together the very best of two extraordinary events in one glorious weekend. This year, we will be exploring a new vision of Albion and our home for the proceedings will be Pippingford Park, East Sussex, with th...e festival taking place over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of August (23rd – 26th).
We will expand on the very best elements of Curious Arts: wonderful writers, great musicians, fabulous comedians, brilliant programmes for children, extensive workshops and experiences. However, in tumultuous political times both at home and abroad our partner Byline will ask important questions of ourselves and others about the meaning of identity, diversity, the role of the individual in society and among many other crucial topics debate whether social media is destroying this country or rebuilding it.
We are enormously grateful to all of our Curious Arts friends, some of you who have returned again and again to be part of the festival. We promise you, we don’t take this step lightly and will work hard to ensure that your experience at CURIOUS ARTS x BYLINE FESTIVAL is as remarkable and unusual and as fun as your previous Curious Arts experiences. We hope you will follow us as we move along the coast a little from the New Forest to the Ashdown Forest.
So let us, together, build Jerusalem once again in England’s green and pleasant land, even if it is from a deckchair with Curious Brewery beer or Fever-Tree cocktail in your hand.
We look forward to greeting you at Pippingford Park in the summer and will keep you updated as the festival programme grows. In the meantime, www.curiousartsfestival.com has the latest up to date information, especially for those who have already purchased tickets for our flagship event of 2019.
The Very Best Wishes, Team Curious
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We’re missing that glorious Hampshire sky and magical weekend in July. Roll on July 2019! https://www.facebook.com/26073003000/post s/10156401059103001/

We had the excellent Laura Lexx with us at Curious this year. She is absolutely brilliant!

Headliner John Newman on Saturday night.

Come for fun and games with George and Martha. Getting ready for a lilliputian puppetry extravaganza for adults.
George and Martha. Martha and George. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Who’s in? Who’s out? Come play a few games for the brave with George and Martha, the perfect Punch and Judy pair. Take a seat, spin the dial, and away we’ll play.
On offer Saturday, 21 July in the Arcadia tent. We’ll have a sign-up sheet at the tent for 10-minute slots for puppet games, but feel free... to drop in at any time between 3 and 5, and we promise something for everyone who has ever felt unadulterated abhorrence, even slightly, even for a split second, for the people they love most. Participants who arrive with brandy score extra points!
#puppets #fun #festival #curious #curiousadventure #lymington #hampshire #newforest #familyfestival #festivalfashion
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Gin-lovers rejoice – our curious friends Hendrick's Gin will be bringing their PeQueueliar Bar to the festival this year to serve up peculiar interludes, poetic diversions and Hendrick’s Gin tipples.
Yum! #GandTTime #GinandTonics #HendricksGin

Site dressing is so much fun. Remember to tag us in your photos when you come this weekend! Sharing is caring 😉

Some wonderful memories from last year. We're ready to make some more precious ones this weekend. Who's with us?
Come and join one of the UK's top boutique festivals. Tickets still available. Weather looks incredible. Line up is superb!
www.curiousartsfestival.com

The Line Girl creating some curious magic for you at the festival.

#2DaysToGo. Don't you dare thinking about leaving us early on Sunday! We have a glorious programme lined up that will keep you entertained, dancing and laughing well into the night..In fact, don't even bother thinking about working on Monday! . Come along to the Curious Breakfast club at 10:00 and join Blezard and the editors of The Week to discuss the days national and local news. . Or get involved in MJ's Big Choir Gospel Explosion. Rehearsals start at 10 and performance ...at 12:00. Make sure you sign up.
The Great Brain Robbery returns to Curious Arts Festival with a fun-filled, musical circumnavigation of the globe in 80 days – well, actually only one! Join us on our sonic journey across the continents! The expedition will of course be lead by none other than Phileas Fogg himself, accompanied by his loyal valet Passepartout. Who knows who we will meet along the way on our melodic voyage! Proceedings will commence at 10am on the main field. Please join us for breakfast with Phileas as he takes up the challenge to go around the world in 80 days…
We have some excellent authors joining us including Imogen Hermes Goward and Christie Wastson who will be conversation with Rowan Pelling. International bestselling author kate Mosse and Matt Haig, who will be in conversation with Dolly Alderton.
Don't miss Gareth Malonein the evening, showcasing his own written material and well-known classics
full programme on our website www.curiousartsfestivalcom
#festival #Hampshire #Hampshirelife #Lymington #NewForest #festivalseason #summertime
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It’s all coming together very nicely. What a beautiful setting we’re in.
For those who are camping, because of the extremely dry conditions BBQs and camping stoves are strictly forbidden on site.🔥👎
Instead, come and enjoy the amazing food we have on offer with Feast It... . See you soon! .
#festival #festivalseason #festivalfashion #curious #lymington #hampshirelife #pylewellpark #curiousartsfestival #hampshire
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Art Car Boot Fair line-up for Curious Arts Festival is looking utterly brilliant this year!
Exciting art duo Keeler Tornero will be creating collaborative postable letter based artworks live with festival-goers.
Maria Teresa Gavazzi & Julia Maddison will be selling unique, highly desirable and quite possibly outré knickers. Each pair will be hand embroidered and highly individual; pants as art and art as pants.
... Stephanie Carlton-Smith, Paul Sakoilsky and Mark Jones will be dashing off spectacular high speed five minute portraits in different mediums.
Bumble & Earwig, makers of exquisite miniature wearable taxidermy and felted sculptures will be demonstrating their unique style of needle felting and holding a workshop and the infamous Kunst Clown, Kunsty, will be making a dramatic appearance - expect Painting Practice III, controlled anarchy, an artists rant and custard pie chaos!
How wonderful!!
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#3DaysToGo. Saturday is looking full of curiously wonderful events and adventures including the following:
Start your day with Rude Health or head to our Curious Canteen who will be serving a delicious breakfast from 09:00-11:00. Book your table here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/curious-ca nteen-tickets-4806…
Morning cartoon club starts at 08:00 - bring a coffee and your kids and enjoy a screening of Paddington 2 whilst you plan your day.
... We have authors such as David Fox Pitt discussing his book #Positiverosity, 7 Golden Principles. Best selling writer #AdamKay for an open, honest talk about his book #ThisIsGoingToHurt, followed by #DollyAlderton in conversation with #PaulBlezard about her best selling book #EverythingIKnowAboutLove.
Don't miss the great film director #StephenFrears discuss his work, including #AVeryEnglishScandal and at 8:30pm #RobertMontgomery specially commissioned Fire poem to mark dusk at Curious.
Music includes captivating songwriter Tina Boonstra, soulful songwriter Lily Moore, critically acclaimed Lilla Vargen, the impressive Colouring and local five piece band Farmageddon. Our evening music kicks off with Indie Rock band OUTLYA, the immensely talented Flyte followed by our headliner John Newman
Curious Adventures include Children's science workshop #FeelThePower, #MagpieAndTheWardrobe, Children's film workshop, Poker Workshop
Comedy kicks off at 17:00 with #SimonEvans presenting dazzling sets from The Story Beast, Alice Fraser #BenPope.
And there's MORE!!!
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New River Press will be curating two days of music, spoken word and performance on Saturday 21st July and Sunday 22nd in the New River Tent.
New River Press was founded in 2016 by artist Robert Montgomery and poet Greta Bellamacina. They look for work from young and old poets, both established and emerging, that is playful, romantic, and radical. I-D magazine has said of NRP that they are “breathing new life into the way we disseminate poetry”. AnOther magazine described the...m as “a publishing house fuelled by restlessness and a frustration with the state of contemporary poetry in Britain.” Autre magazine praised them as “one of the UK’s edgiest and most exciting poetry imprints.” They published one of the last books by the late anarchist environmentalist poet Heathcote Williams, a book about Jerusalem by the Irish poet Niall McDevitt, a book of erotic poems by a former medical doctor Barbara Polla. 2017 saw the publication of their first annual poetry yearbook Year Of The Propaganda Corrupted Plebiscites, featuring topical poems on Grenfell, Trump, and Syria, about half of which were gathered through online call outs on social media. Poems we’ve published have appeared in The Forward Poetry collection for 2017 and The London Magazine. Dazed and Confused recently featured ten of their poets in an article on the press titled ‘Poems to make sense of the world.’
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#4DaysToGo until our glorious curious weekend starts.
Settle into watching a game of cricket with #AuthosXI, sip a cool glass of Chapel Down wine or refreshing can of Curious Brewery IPA. Fill up with Feast It
Get yourselves ready for our Friday music sessions including the warm melodies of Amaroun, rising talent Elle Watson, the astounding Bryde, pop genius bülow, poetic and atmospheric Isaac Gracie and chart topping Milky Chance
... Join award winning novelist Emma Healey in conversation about her second novel #WhistleInTheDark, followed by #JamieReid discussing his book #MonsieurX, the incredible story of the most audacious gambler. Don't miss #MishaGlenny, author, journalist, speaker and historian discuss #McMafia.
Bring you little ones along to the hugely popular kids show with James Campbell. Enjoy an afternoon of Life Drawing for grownups, finishing the night with DJ sets from #DJHarrietRose and #HMSSweetCharity
And that's just FRIDAY!!!
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The Curious Canteen is a collaboration between Jenny Quintero – co-founder of Covent Garden’s Jar Kitchen – and Ellie Lewis – a brilliant young chef who trained at Leith’s before going on to work at Alimetum, Jar Kitchen, The Frog and Havelock Tavern.
With a focus on great sourcing, delicious ingredients and simple presentation – this is a restaurant that we couldn’t be more excited to welcome to this year’s festival and very much hope you find the opportunity to enjoy over t...he course of the weekend.
Jenny and Ellie will be using some fabulous suppliers including Capital Seafood (suppliers of J Sheekey, Coya, Hix), award-winning butchers Walter Rose and Biglands Bakery to name but a few – and we are particularly excited about the star main dish on the lunch menu which features a rack of goat from Cabrito.
Check out the delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner menu online: http://curiousartsfestival.com/…/07/Cur ious-Canteen_Menu.pdf
and make sure to book a table. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/curious-ca nteen-tickets-4806…
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We had the best weekend at Curious Arts Festival - it was the perfect spot for hanging out with family and friends. Great atmosphere and very relaxed. My two small children were constantly entertained - face painting, arts & craft, bug trails, beat hunts... they had a ball! Lots more food choices this year which was also great - the dim sum was fantastic!

We had such an awesome weekend - it was our first time at Curious Arts and first time camping at a festival! Yes there was a lot of rain but that's the joy of English weather; and the toilets were a challenge at times - but you're at a festival so that happens......Fantastic event programme and so much to do, met lovely friendly people and will be definitely be back next year!

We had a wonderful time, despite the pouring rain and resulting shocking hair. Breathtakingly beautiful setting, with the stately home at one end, and the Solent at the other. Top authors dispensing wisdom, lots of laughs, mesmerising musical performances, an elusive Jaberwocky in the woods, ukeleles and poetry-reading nymphs. Gorgeous curious touches like books hanging in trees, bowler hats dangling from ceilings, wardrobes on the lawn full of feathers. Such a friendly crowd; it's a happy world away from reality and I miss it (and the gin cocktails) already.

We had a fantastic time at the Curious Arts Festival for the third year in a row. We love this intimate festival because it offers a varied and interesting programme of acts and events for all the family, and it provides us with an opportunity to camp in the beautiful grounds of Pylewell Park every summer. My highs from 2017 include - wine tasting with Chapel Down, watching comedian Ian Tonkinson with a Fevertree Gin and Tonic, listening to US author Dave Eggers take on Donald Trump and listening to the energetic Tom Odell on Saturday night. Bang Bang pizza was back again to our delight, and the Gurka meat curry was delicious. Bring on 20 - 22 July 2018!!!

We absolutely loved the festival. This was our second time. We saw so many of the events this year as the rain forced us into the tents whereas last year we probably sat enjoying the sunshine a bit too much! The acoustic tent with straw bales was brilliant. The quality of the acts incredibly high. Comedy, Author Rachel Joyce and Breakfast Club particular favourites. Highlight Tom Odell and Birdy dueting his brand new material. I can't wait for next year. Only negatives as picked up by other reviewers s were long queues for loos and food. But that's easily fixable for next year. Keep it up Curious. We loved you.

Very relaxed festival. Lots to do if you want to without being frantic. A great mix of music, literature, comedy, food and drink all in great surroundings. See you next year.

This was my first time attending the Curious Arts Festival and I absolutely loved it! The food and drink options were great and the music, author talks and comedians were fun and interesting in equal measure, with something for everyone. Camping facilities were great and the staff were helpful and friendly. I highly recommend and can't wait for next year!

This is a seriously special festival; beautiful location, lots to do for kids and adults. Really enjoyed the comedy; celia imrie was fascinating. Enjoyed listening to authors talk about the inspiration for their books. The kids had a ball- bug walks, inspiration lab, running around and just being kids! Did prefer last year when there was no late license though. But £4.50 for amazing cocktails (fever tree)- should have just joined the late night revellers!

This festival is all about relaxing with space and comfort at your finger tips. Great music and comedy with a great line up of authors and famous faces keeping you entertained and informed in between.



And there is loads of food and drink!

Third consecutive year I have been to Curious Arts and still want more! The music acts were by far the best that this quirky, intimate and family orientated festival has laid on since I've been going. Friday night's African vibes was my favourite night, and Tom Odell proved to be top class live entertainer - incredible performance. From what I've heard, I wish I had not had to miss the orchestral concert on the Sunday night. I'm not a huge book worm yet still had enough to be entertained with the wine classes and comedy shows, which were simply brilliant. Most certainly going back again next year - if the sun shines everyday can only imagine how much fun I'll have!

I had an amazing weekend at Curious Arts Festival. The grounds were stunning in the sunshine - and the setting is spectacular! Music highlights included Jake Isaac on the Friday who played in the crowd and Skinny Lister rocked the main tent on Saturday. It was the second time I saw the Noise Next Door and they were beyond funny! I already have withdrawal symptoms from the Halloumi Fries and will definitely be back next year

Had a super time at this festival last weekend, plus a fun camping adventure too. From seeing one of my favourite author's Matt Haig speak, eating delicious food, dancing to an unbelievable performance from Tom O'Dell (with a surprise duo with Birdy) to meeting lots of interesting and unique peeps, a ball was had by all! Waiting for next summer already � Charlotte

Great festival! Really liked the combination of interesting authors and music and good food. Beautiful setting, big enough, but small enough to let children (youngest 10) roam and find you again. Lovely atmosphere! Gareth Malone, had always wanted to see him, all the author talks I went to were great ( and I am really not a very bookish person!). Loved being able to go to the sea as well! There can't be many festivals where you can do that. Hot showers on both mornings ( and we were in the normal camping, not just glamping!). Water supply was a bit on and off, but whenever the water was off, water bottle were handed out and the problem seemed to be in hand and actively being sorted. And there were alternative toilets. Would have loved a little more food choices. Queues were fine, something like 11 vendor plus more expensive pop up restaurant. That said, what was there was great quality and actually quite happy to repeat a few meals. Maybe spoilt from going to food festivals with lots of choice! Well done for organising! Met lots of lovely people and had a wonderful time!

Feels like SOHO HOUSE wrapped up in one weekend ! Writers, eco-hippies, poets, singer&song-creators, music in my ears & mind... Being THE It Girl Of Literature... I will ALWAYS come back to the CURIOUS ARTS FESTIVAL !

Thank you Clare Conville & team for a brilliant weekend full of inspiration !

Amazing!!! 🤩🤩 Such a unique and varied festival! From the immersive talks and comedy to the incredible head-lining performances, I was spoilt for choice. Could not recommend this more strongly -already planning next years with an extended group of friends. Ps the food 😋 and the setting 🤩 -exceptional! A real highlight of my summer!! Thank you to all involved.

Absolutely magic! Perfect combination of music, fun, books, food, activities and silliness! All in a ridiculously beautiful setting! A particular highlight for me was seeing Lemn Sissay who received his first standing ovation - what a brilliant poet and performer! I was camping in the main camping field which was a short stroll to the sea for that well needed morning dip - great hot showers after too! Will definitely be returning next year �

This was our first time. Weather was superb which helped the atmosphere. Many thanks to everyone for all their hard work.



What we liked:



The variety of authors, music, food vendors, atmosphere, quirky items. Lovely to attend a more "intellectual" festi. Size was just right for us and not over run with stalls. Fab to see children enjoying themselves and experiencing a perhaps different

experience. Brilliant musicians and performers and we really enjoyed the talks we attended.



What we felt would improve it for us:



Managed spaces in the camping field. Some units were so close together, there was a real fire risk. The weather has been so hot for weeks, the ground was very dry. Health and safety issue.



We could have planned our stay better if the full programme was issued a bit further in advance. We didn't realise there was such a full programme on the Sunday, so missed most of it.



Couldn't see the point of getting tickets for some events. First come, first served would perhaps be better for those who don't want to completely plan their time



We had a great time though and would definitely come again!

My first year at this fabulous festival. I only went for the Saturday as a taster but left me wanting to come back and stay. The talks I saw were very different and surprisingly good . Author of ‘this is going to hurt ‘was funny and challenging for the right reasons. Similarly the restaurant owner of Polpo was evocative as he brought food passion & Venice to life. I liked the vibe , the setting and completed by great weather. The schedule needs to be revamped, really hard to see summary per day of each genre. Also I feel booking onto some of the events is a silly idea, as no doubt a lot people didn’t turn up for what they booked, first come first served would be better.

Whilst the venue and setting is undoubtedly wonderful the festival was a bit of a damp squib. There were large parts of the day where nothing happened, nothing was scheduled to happen,particularly between the peak times of 6 and 8 ! The food stands continually shut either because they wanted a break ? or they'd run out of food. The site wasn't curious enough, sticking a couple of wardrobes across the site and a few bits in the entrance didn't make me feel anything apart from a feeling a sense of sorrow for the chronic underfunding when dressing the festival site.

Tom Odell was excellent but then he would have been excellent anywhere, in fact I felt sorrry for him that more people hadn't turned up.

This could be a brilliant festival as the grounds and space are amazing, the organisers need to take note of festivals like The End of The Road to understand how to create an experience over a site, how to schedule and book correctly, how to manage vendors and spend a lot more money on dressing the site.

It will be a while before I return.