Charleston

Are Virginia Woolf's 'moments of being' liminal moments?
In Moments of Being, a collection of posthumously-published autobiographical essays by Woolf, she writes that 'Behind the cotton wool is hidden a pattern; that we—I mean all human beings—are connected with this; that the whole world is a work of art; that we are parts of the work of art.'
Eley Williams author of the collection Attrib. explores similar ideas in a story where a work of art triggers a moment of heightened... awareness – giving the narrator the sense that 'over your shoulder the ‘Movement in Squares’ (1961) by Bridget Riley becomes a vinyl record’s surface gleaming white as if the light was bouncing from it but in fact, now, I think it has become a broken disc or spiders’ legs across fresh bed-linen, a capital letter first person I becoming a forward slash, an exclamation mark becoming a backstroke because I find I cannot kiss you standing by this painting, I would start bleeding salt and pepper.'
Join us on Saturday 30 September for 'Liminal Moments' to explore works that push at the limits of language and human experience, crossing boundaries between writing, art and life – reaching for, as Woolf might say, 'something beyond the daily life', with Eley Williams and Neil Bartlett.
You can see Briget Riley's 'Movement in Squares' here: https://artuk.org/discov…/artworks/move ment-in-squares-64038
https://www.charleston.org.uk/event/limin al-moments/
See More

It's exciting to see that AL Kennedy's Subterranean Homesick Blues is now on BBC Radio 4. The comic drama starring Bill Nighy and Anna Calder-Marshall explores love in later life – listen to it here.
You can also see AL Kennedy during Small Wonder on Friday 28 September, performing The Literary Monologue. The specially-commissioned monologue celebrates 20 years of Mslexia magazine’s championing of women writers and will be followed by a conversation with Debbie Taylor, founder and Editorial Director of Mslexia.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bh4243

A great review of Crudo, which, as Olivia Laing says, 'is about about what it's like to live right now, about Trump and Twitter, anxiety and love.'
Don't miss either of our #SmallWonderfest-commissioned pieces created by Laing in collaboration with artist Sarah Wood and performance artist La JohnJoseph -- the immersive art installation A Million Candles will be in our beautiful Hay Barn until 23 September and you can see The Something-Nothings performed during Small Wonder on Saturday 29 September.
https://www.newyorker.com/…/olivia-lain gs-crudo-is-made-fro…

Read this Q&A with our Small Wonder Writer in Residence Layla AlAmmar to find out just what the Bloomsbury Group means to her – and about her debut novel The Pact We Made, due to be published next spring.
She will be visiting us from 26-30 September, attending all #SmallWonderfest events and responding to the festival. You'll be able to follow her posts on our website.
https://www.charleston.org.uk/small-wo… /writer-in-residence/

Get a unique insight into the curatorial decisions and artistic interpretations behind Charleston’s inaugural exhibition 'Orlando at the present time'.
Late night opening of our galleries combined with a talk and Q&A by contributing artists Paul Kindersley and Delaine Le Bas, as well as Dr Darren Clarke, Rausing Head of Exhibitions, Research and Collections and Nathaniel Hepburn, Director and Chief Executive of Charleston.

Join us for our first Orlando Reading Group session this Sunday 16 September. Reader-in-residence Holly Dawson will guide you through the book – you will read extracts aloud, explore letters, diaries and other relevant texts, and participate in lively discussion.
The first session focuses on 'Time' in Orlando: the four centuries that pass, the pros and cons of each era (apparently, the only good thing about the Victorian age was the invention of crumpets!), and how Woolf dep...icts ‘the present’.
We will also think about the Modernist obsession with time, and draw on feminist critiques of a 'female' experience of time. It's the perfect way for new readers to become familiar with the book, and for Orlando fans to expand and deepen their appreciation.
'But Time, unfortunately, though it makes animals and vegetables bloom and fade with amazing punctuality, has no such simple effect upon the mind of man. The mind of man, moreover, works with equal strangeness upon the body of time. An hour, once it lodges in the queer element of the human spirit, may be stretched to fifty or a hundred times its clock length; on the other hand, an hour may be accurately represented on the timepiece of the mind by one second.'
https://www.charleston.org.uk/event/orlan do-reading-group/
See More

Join us for a day of festivity as we mark 90 years to the day since Orlando: A Biography was first published.
Enjoy the text in its entirety – performed by actors, writers, artists and community readers. Watch this space as we announce who will be involved.
Drop-in, listen and respond creatively – new readers are regularly being added to the list. Check back here to see if you recognise any names! The event will be live-streamed to reach every corner of the globe. Help spread... the word: #Orlando90 #OrlandoDay1110
9-hour reading hosted by Holly Dawson of the Lewes Short Story Club and introduced by Jeanette Winterson.
If you would like to read a section of Orlando, you must register your interest with us. Please contact Jemma Paterson at j.paterson@charleston.org.uk.
See More

'The longest and most charming love letter in literature', Virginia Woolf's Orlando commemorates her passion for Vita Sackville-West.
Vita’s granddaughter Juliet Nicolson, and Virginia’s great-niece Virginia Nicholson will share family history and insider intimacies on love, friendship, class, rivalry and betrayal, linked by readings from their ancestors’ writings.
Part of #OrlandoReawakened festival 11-14 October.

When Kenneth Clark commissioned Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant to create a dinner service, what he got was completely unexpected – 'a provocative and humorous work of art that challenged both the standard orientation of history and the way in which it is recorded, as well as consolidating a call for social change, beginning in the domestic realm.'
The Famous Women Dinner Service is exhibited in our new Galleries alongside 'Orlando at the present time', and it's worth thinkin...g about it alongside Woolf's Orlando: A Biography. The works challenge traditional Victorian notions about what lives are worth recording and re-orient histories to highlight the experiences of women.
You can read about The Famous Women Dinner Service in this British Art Studies article by Dr Hana Leaper, who spent many months working with the Angelica Garnett Gift at Charleston – and come visit it here: https://www.charleston.org.uk/…/exhibit ions-8-september-20…/
http://britishartstudies.ac.uk/‚Ķ/issue‚ Ķ/issue-7/famous-women
See More

A lovely write-up about our new development The Spaces

Open today and running until 23 September, we have #AMillionCandles in our Hay Barn.
Inspired by Virginia Woolf's Orlando and created by novelist Olivia Laing and artist Sarah Wood, the installation invites visitors into an immersive experience.
Please join us in the giant bed. Everyone is welcome. Find a comfortable position. Lie back. Relax.
... Let your mind open and listen to A Million Candles. Be part of the collective dream of a renewing future.
https://www.charleston.org.uk/current-art ist-installations/
See More

In 1916, on Virginia Woolf’s recommendation, Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant moved to Charleston. Today, we embark on the next chapter, as we open our barns and galleries to the public. A space for thinking, making, discussing, eating, drinking, debating, working and writing. Join us and share your experience.
Photos: Eddie Otchere and Axel Hesslenberg

Join curator of The Museum of Transology E-J Scott, dress historian Dr Jane Hattrick, and hairy, brown, trans Muslim dandy Sabah Choudrey for an evening of discussion and performance exploring historical and contemporary gender-crossing bodies and transgressive identities through text and objects of dress, using themes from Virginia Woolf’s Orlando as a starting point.
Including short films from Paul Kindersley
More about the speakers:
... E-J Scott is a fashion lecturer, historian and curator of the Museum of Transology at Brighton Museum and Tate Britain’s Queer and Now museum takeover.
Dr. Jane Hattrick is a dress historian from University of Brighton.
Sabah Choudrey is a muslim trans activist, speaker and writer. They co-founded Trans Pride Brighton in 2013 and was listed in the top 100 most influential LGBTQ people in the Rainbow List in 2015.
See More

Today we are thrilled to announce that Virginia Nicholson will be the new President of The Charleston Trust.

"Here, then, is a manifesto for the Charleston of tomorrow..." Read the full review of our new barns and galleries in today's The Telegraph

Don't forget about our Heritage Open Weekend. It will be our first time opening up our new spaces to the public, so come along and explore the beautifully-renovated barns.
There will be a full programme of FREE events, including family art activities and talks about the restoration project and Charleston's heritage. There will also be tours of the Garden with Head Gardener Fiona Dennis and access to the immersive installation A Million Candles: https://www.charleston.org.uk/...current- artist-installations/
The House and Galleries will still be ticketed.
https://www.charleston.org.uk/heritage-op en-weekend/
See More

There are now just a handful of tickets available for our writing workshops at this year's Small Wonder. Don't miss out!
Writing For Audio | 28 September – BBC radio producer Liz Allard and writer Alison Macleod, will guide you through a series of exercises inspired by Charleston and focussing on the creative opportunities and pitfalls of writing for listeners. There will be feedback, practical tips to help you craft your ideas and suggestions on routes to getting your work ...heard.
Four Ways of Answering | 29 September – Acclaimed novelist and writer Benjamin Markovits leads a creative writing workshop focused on structure. What do you need to know before you start writing? What is your story about? You will look at four different ways of answering these questions – and start to put these theories into practice. There will be a chance to write, and to share your writing, and to think about how to rewrite by the end.
https://www.charleston.org.uk/e…/writin g-for-audio-workshop/
#SmallWonderFest
See More

Less than one month to go! With all the excitement surrounding our galleries launch on 8 September, don't forget about #SmallWonderfest at the end of the month. Some events are selling out, so get your tickets quickly – and remember to keep checking our website for returns to previously sold out events.

Wonderful place to visit. Fascinating guided tour of the house, well detailed history of the house and occupants.

The location is stunning and the gardens so beautiful.

It will be interesting to return once the barns have been restored; due to be completed by September.

Nice cafe/tea room too.

Wonderful place to spend an afternoon. Read about the Bloomsbury set before you go and you will fall in love with the farm and be able to picture all of them in situ.

What an amazing place it simply blows your mind they were so ahead of their time in all areas of their lives. Loved the garden not as grand as others but still beautiful I would recommend it to all enjoyable time spent there

Visited Charleston with a friend on a beautiful sunny day yesterday.



I have visited before, about 20 years ago, but enjoyed my visit just as much this time.



Sally, our tour guide, was excellent and really brought the occupants of the house, their stories and their work to life.



Wonderful visit and look forward to returning when the new areas are open.

Utterly fabulous. A dream come true to visit and was everything l hoped for and more!

I always love coming to this wonderful place, which is not just a great time capsule revealing so much about the amazing lives and works of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, but also an evolving place once again, it's exciting to see the plans for future development. I came here with a friend to celebrate her 50th today and had a fabulous time talking to the well informed guides, exploring the garden and having tea in the glorious sushine. All the best with the centenary celebrations.

Sarah Moseley

History of a lot of 20th century art tied up in a house. The place is brimming with ideas and things to see and has a warm, loving feel to it. Great garden too.

Had a fabulous visit, the guides in each room were all very knowledgeable about the rooms and art featured in the house. The gardens are stunning and i think we probably have seen them at there best with all the spring flowering. Nestled under the South Downs the setting is stunning and well worth exploring the walks around the area. Berwick Church which has some extraordinary murals painted by artist's in residence at Charlston. Make a day of this artistic feast for the eyes.

Great day out at Charleston Farm. Very good, knowledgeable and humorous guide who showed us around the house, and provided fascinating insights into the place and personalities (the Bloomsbury Group were hopelessly impractical, but were industrious in their childlike art and design). The gardens retain original works (note the charmingly inexact mosaics in the garden) and much more. It is to be recommended.

Fascinating place and everything I had hoped it might be, the guides were so helpful and enthusiastic as well as knowledgable.

The garden was full of flowers and colour in later October too! And just as we arrived the local hunt came riding past as I haven't seen that for years and years, it was like stepping back in time!

Fascinating house and the staff are excellent

Enjoyed a wonderful tour of Charleston yesterday with Milton Abbey School parents association. Amazing look back in time with Louise, our very knowledgeable tour guide. It has left me wanting to find out more and I would thoroughly recommend this museum and the food in the cafe is delicious.

Dropped in for lunch, a look around the Festival and the abundant and beautiful garden. Will be back to take a look inside the house. Would recommend a visit to anyone with an interest in Bloomsbury; in fact, mandatory. But a beautiful spot and very good picnic-style lunch in a most English setting.

Charleston was everything I imagined and more. Our guide was superb, knowledgeable and interesting, and the house is beautifully preserved. It is breathtakingly evocative of the people who lived and visited. The garden was glorious too, I will definitely be back when the barn renovation is completed! This place is an absolute gem.

Charleston Farm gives a unique insight into the lives of the Bloomsbury set in general and Vanessa Bell in particular. The house is full of fabrics and artifacts as well as dozens of paintings. The gardens are a delight. Our guide could not have been more knowledgeable. It was the perfect follow up to the exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery recently.

Beautiful house and garden. Fascinating art and social history.

Tour of Farmhouse was lovely. Unfortunately the tour guide difficult to understand at times.

So interesting to see how the lives of the artistic few played out.

Loved the paintings and those personal items that affected the Some of the members of the Bloomsbury set.

The staff were so delightfully willing to impart information

Lovely location in the Sussex countryside. Beautiful gardens to wander and cafe serving lunches and teas. Nicely stocked shop with books, gifts, home wear and fabrics and some clothes/scarves. Tours around the house are guided and pre bookable (advise booking if you want to be sure of entry). It can feel a little rushed at busy times with multiple tours going around the house but the guides are very knowledgeable, Phillipa was great. Worth carrying on to nearby Berwick Church to see the wall paintings there.

Wonderful place to visit. Fascinating guided tour of the house, well detailed history of the house and occupants.

The location is stunning and the gardens so beautiful.

It will be interesting to return once the barns have been restored; due to be completed by September.

Nice cafe/tea room too.

Wonderful place to spend an afternoon. Read about the Bloomsbury set before you go and you will fall in love with the farm and be able to picture all of them in situ.

What an amazing place it simply blows your mind they were so ahead of their time in all areas of their lives. Loved the garden not as grand as others but still beautiful I would recommend it to all enjoyable time spent there

Visited Charleston with a friend on a beautiful sunny day yesterday.



I have visited before, about 20 years ago, but enjoyed my visit just as much this time.



Sally, our tour guide, was excellent and really brought the occupants of the house, their stories and their work to life.



Wonderful visit and look forward to returning when the new areas are open.

Utterly fabulous. A dream come true to visit and was everything l hoped for and more!

I always love coming to this wonderful place, which is not just a great time capsule revealing so much about the amazing lives and works of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, but also an evolving place once again, it's exciting to see the plans for future development. I came here with a friend to celebrate her 50th today and had a fabulous time talking to the well informed guides, exploring the garden and having tea in the glorious sushine. All the best with the centenary celebrations.

Sarah Moseley

History of a lot of 20th century art tied up in a house. The place is brimming with ideas and things to see and has a warm, loving feel to it. Great garden too.

Had a fabulous visit, the guides in each room were all very knowledgeable about the rooms and art featured in the house. The gardens are stunning and i think we probably have seen them at there best with all the spring flowering. Nestled under the South Downs the setting is stunning and well worth exploring the walks around the area. Berwick Church which has some extraordinary murals painted by artist's in residence at Charlston. Make a day of this artistic feast for the eyes.

Great day out at Charleston Farm. Very good, knowledgeable and humorous guide who showed us around the house, and provided fascinating insights into the place and personalities (the Bloomsbury Group were hopelessly impractical, but were industrious in their childlike art and design). The gardens retain original works (note the charmingly inexact mosaics in the garden) and much more. It is to be recommended.

Fascinating place and everything I had hoped it might be, the guides were so helpful and enthusiastic as well as knowledgable.

The garden was full of flowers and colour in later October too! And just as we arrived the local hunt came riding past as I haven't seen that for years and years, it was like stepping back in time!

Fascinating house and the staff are excellent

Enjoyed a wonderful tour of Charleston yesterday with Milton Abbey School parents association. Amazing look back in time with Louise, our very knowledgeable tour guide. It has left me wanting to find out more and I would thoroughly recommend this museum and the food in the cafe is delicious.

Dropped in for lunch, a look around the Festival and the abundant and beautiful garden. Will be back to take a look inside the house. Would recommend a visit to anyone with an interest in Bloomsbury; in fact, mandatory. But a beautiful spot and very good picnic-style lunch in a most English setting.

Charleston was everything I imagined and more. Our guide was superb, knowledgeable and interesting, and the house is beautifully preserved. It is breathtakingly evocative of the people who lived and visited. The garden was glorious too, I will definitely be back when the barn renovation is completed! This place is an absolute gem.

Charleston Farm gives a unique insight into the lives of the Bloomsbury set in general and Vanessa Bell in particular. The house is full of fabrics and artifacts as well as dozens of paintings. The gardens are a delight. Our guide could not have been more knowledgeable. It was the perfect follow up to the exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery recently.

Beautiful house and garden. Fascinating art and social history.

Tour of Farmhouse was lovely. Unfortunately the tour guide difficult to understand at times.

So interesting to see how the lives of the artistic few played out.

Loved the paintings and those personal items that affected the Some of the members of the Bloomsbury set.

The staff were so delightfully willing to impart information

Lovely location in the Sussex countryside. Beautiful gardens to wander and cafe serving lunches and teas. Nicely stocked shop with books, gifts, home wear and fabrics and some clothes/scarves. Tours around the house are guided and pre bookable (advise booking if you want to be sure of entry). It can feel a little rushed at busy times with multiple tours going around the house but the guides are very knowledgeable, Phillipa was great. Worth carrying on to nearby Berwick Church to see the wall paintings there.

Wonderful place to visit. Fascinating guided tour of the house, well detailed history of the house and occupants.

The location is stunning and the gardens so beautiful.

It will be interesting to return once the barns have been restored; due to be completed by September.

Nice cafe/tea room too.

Wonderful place to spend an afternoon. Read about the Bloomsbury set before you go and you will fall in love with the farm and be able to picture all of them in situ.

What an amazing place it simply blows your mind they were so ahead of their time in all areas of their lives. Loved the garden not as grand as others but still beautiful I would recommend it to all enjoyable time spent there

Visited Charleston with a friend on a beautiful sunny day yesterday.



I have visited before, about 20 years ago, but enjoyed my visit just as much this time.



Sally, our tour guide, was excellent and really brought the occupants of the house, their stories and their work to life.



Wonderful visit and look forward to returning when the new areas are open.

Utterly fabulous. A dream come true to visit and was everything l hoped for and more!

I always love coming to this wonderful place, which is not just a great time capsule revealing so much about the amazing lives and works of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, but also an evolving place once again, it's exciting to see the plans for future development. I came here with a friend to celebrate her 50th today and had a fabulous time talking to the well informed guides, exploring the garden and having tea in the glorious sushine. All the best with the centenary celebrations.

Sarah Moseley

History of a lot of 20th century art tied up in a house. The place is brimming with ideas and things to see and has a warm, loving feel to it. Great garden too.

Had a fabulous visit, the guides in each room were all very knowledgeable about the rooms and art featured in the house. The gardens are stunning and i think we probably have seen them at there best with all the spring flowering. Nestled under the South Downs the setting is stunning and well worth exploring the walks around the area. Berwick Church which has some extraordinary murals painted by artist's in residence at Charlston. Make a day of this artistic feast for the eyes.

Great day out at Charleston Farm. Very good, knowledgeable and humorous guide who showed us around the house, and provided fascinating insights into the place and personalities (the Bloomsbury Group were hopelessly impractical, but were industrious in their childlike art and design). The gardens retain original works (note the charmingly inexact mosaics in the garden) and much more. It is to be recommended.

Fascinating place and everything I had hoped it might be, the guides were so helpful and enthusiastic as well as knowledgable.

The garden was full of flowers and colour in later October too! And just as we arrived the local hunt came riding past as I haven't seen that for years and years, it was like stepping back in time!

Fascinating house and the staff are excellent

Enjoyed a wonderful tour of Charleston yesterday with Milton Abbey School parents association. Amazing look back in time with Louise, our very knowledgeable tour guide. It has left me wanting to find out more and I would thoroughly recommend this museum and the food in the cafe is delicious.

Dropped in for lunch, a look around the Festival and the abundant and beautiful garden. Will be back to take a look inside the house. Would recommend a visit to anyone with an interest in Bloomsbury; in fact, mandatory. But a beautiful spot and very good picnic-style lunch in a most English setting.

Charleston was everything I imagined and more. Our guide was superb, knowledgeable and interesting, and the house is beautifully preserved. It is breathtakingly evocative of the people who lived and visited. The garden was glorious too, I will definitely be back when the barn renovation is completed! This place is an absolute gem.

Charleston Farm gives a unique insight into the lives of the Bloomsbury set in general and Vanessa Bell in particular. The house is full of fabrics and artifacts as well as dozens of paintings. The gardens are a delight. Our guide could not have been more knowledgeable. It was the perfect follow up to the exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery recently.

Beautiful house and garden. Fascinating art and social history.

Tour of Farmhouse was lovely. Unfortunately the tour guide difficult to understand at times.

So interesting to see how the lives of the artistic few played out.

Loved the paintings and those personal items that affected the Some of the members of the Bloomsbury set.

The staff were so delightfully willing to impart information

Lovely location in the Sussex countryside. Beautiful gardens to wander and cafe serving lunches and teas. Nicely stocked shop with books, gifts, home wear and fabrics and some clothes/scarves. Tours around the house are guided and pre bookable (advise booking if you want to be sure of entry). It can feel a little rushed at busy times with multiple tours going around the house but the guides are very knowledgeable, Phillipa was great. Worth carrying on to nearby Berwick Church to see the wall paintings there.