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Whether you're a seasoned theatre buff, an expert in fashion history or just someone looking for a good day out, our selection of creative endeavours will ensure some fond memories.
The Blandford Fashion Museum
The Blandford Fashion Museum is situated in Lime Tree House, a Grade II Listed Georgian Town House. Started from Betty Penny’s Cavalcade of Costume, there are displays of historical fashion spread over 13 rooms. Current displays include Regency and Victorian Fashion, Changing Times: The 1920s, And So To Bed…Historical Sleepwear, Our Sporting Heritage: A History of Sportswear (with loans from the Lee Miller Archive and Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson) and The Textile Collection of Elizabeth Frink. We also have a tearoom serving cakes and scones as well a gift shop, stocked with locally made jewellery and fashion books.
Lime Tree House, 11 The Plocks, Blandford
T: 01258 453006
Sculpture by the Lakes
Nestled in 26 acres of Dorset's beautiful countryside, Sculpture by the Lakes is a unique outdoor art venue and botanic garden, showcasing internationally acclaimed artwork and nature conservation working seamlessly together. The park features over 120 sculptures, many of which (including those pictured) were created by the park's owner and one of Britain's leading contemporary sculptors, Simon Gudgeon. These magnificent pieces are interspersed among beautifully landscaped gardens, inspiring visitors to relax, unwind and let their imaginations run wild.
The park hosts a wide range of events each year designed to unleash creative potential, including art and nature workshops, expert talks and demonstrations, and unique exhibitions in the on-site gallery.
The Gallery is set to host a brand-new exhibition, 'Into The Wild' from September 14 to October 19. The show will include exceptional works from various international and local artists, which focus on capturing the untamed wild in a variety of mediums including paintings, sculptures, and sketches. The Gallery is one of various amenities in the free-to-enter Makers Yard site, located at the entrance to the sculpture park. The site also hosts The Store, featuring beautiful art pieces and home decor for purchase, and The Pantry which offers a selection of delectable artisan treats. Visitors can also enjoy delicious fresh, seasonal dishes made with homegrown ingredients at on-site cafe, The Kitchen.
Pallington Lakes, Dorchester, DT2 8QU
T: 07887 906818
Cathy Veale
Specialising in large seascapes with an unmistakable style, Cathy's evocative paintings are full of luminosity and colour. Created from a passion for painting water, and after being brought up on the Isle of Purbeck, walking, running and sailing, she is drawn to the coast and fringes of land for her inspiration. The Jurassic coastline with its stunning natural beauty, has been the theme of her work for many years both on land and from the sea. Her fascination with the sea is fuelled by its changing moods and patterns, formed by the sky's reflection and tidal states. Cathy's paintings depict a unique sense of texture, concentrating on the effects of light and colour on water.
Cathy studied graphic design at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design. After college, she travelled extensively around Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand, undertaking a variety of artwork projects.
Cathy's paintings sell nationally and internationally and have regularly been selected to be shown with Britain's leading watercolour artists at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, Royal Society of Marine Artists exhibitions and the South West Academy of Arts.
See Cathy's website for forthcoming exhibitions or you can visit her in her studio in Harmans Cross by appointment. She also works to commission.
T: 07886 451932
Dorset Opera Festival
This year, the Dorset Opera Festival celebrated its 50th anniversary with two stellar productions and a gala. Artistic director Roderick Kennedy commissioned composer Paul Carr and librettist Euan Tait to create a new opera based on Thomas Hardy's 'Under the Greenwood Tree', notable for its happy ending. The world premiere on July 23 received a standing ovation, with many attendees returning for additional performances.
The festival also featured Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly' to mark the 100th anniversary of the composer's death. Japanese soprano Eri Nakamura, renowned globally for this role, delivered a breathtaking performance, earning a five-star review from a national critic.
A gala concert included appearances by famous past performers and emerging artists, accompanied by a 55-member chorus and full orchestra. Over the past 50 years, the Dorset Opera Festival has become a social highlight, attracting opera enthusiasts from the UK and abroad. This year, it welcomed conductor Sir Mark Elder CH, CBE, as its president.
The festival promotes opera as an approachable art form, encouraging young people to participate and enjoy. Anticipation is high for what the company, a finalist in last year's International Opera Awards, will present in 2025.
Cheselbourne, DT2 7NP
T: 01258 840000
The Tivoli Theatre
The Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne started life as a Georgian Town House on West Borough.
In the mid ‘30’s, a local builder, a Mr Prince, felt that the town needed its own cinema theatre.
In 1936, the Tivoli was opened by converting the townhouse into the foyer and the garden into the auditorium.
There were no dressing rooms built and so The Tivoli served as the local cinema only.
In the late ‘70’s,The County Council had wanted to put a road through the land to improve traffic flow and so they purchased the property and the cinema closed in 1980.
It remained closed for almost fourteen years before it re-opened as The Tivoli Theatre. It had been brought back to life by a wonderful group of volunteers who were led by local businessman, Malcolm Angel. This project had originally been put forward by a local couple, Rob and Joan Thorne. They had approached Councillor Anne Roberts who invited malcolm to the meeting. To cut a long story short, 7000 signatures were presented to the Count Council and they in turn handed over the keys, made some demands on the upkeep of the building and were paid a rental fee.
The town council very kindly and generously offered to have the roof fixed and paid a substantial amount for that.
The Theatre re-opened on November 23rd, 1993, and has just celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Malcom managed the business along with a dedicated and terrific group of volunteers until he retired from it in 2002 having brought acts such as Cleo Laine Wishbone Ash and The Blues Band to the theatre.
Charlie North Lewis was appointed to ‘take it to the next level’.
Charlie has spent most of his working life in the entertainment industry. Born in the early 50’s, he grew up near Windsor and was shipped off to boarding school at an early age, first to Swanage and then to Milton Abbey. He’d always wanted to work in the business and was accepted into Drama School in the early 70’s.
His other ambition that didn’t reach the goals he had set for himself was to play in a successful band. A car accident put an end to that, and he took a job as a sound engineer in a cabaret club in Windsor which led to touring with bands selling merchandise. That in turn proved to have been fortuitous as he emigrated to Canada where he bumped into a tour manager he knew while working at a large outdoor music venue in Toronto. This validated his experience, and he was promoted and subsequently, held some important jobs in the Toronto theatre industry.
Upon his return to England following his divorce, he was offered a job at BAFTA which was where he saw the advert for Wimborne. He was hired in 2002 and is still there!
He has managed to increase the turnover by a considerable amount and has brought some very big names to the venue. Thanks to Ben Waters, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood and Imelda May have graced the stage. In addition to them, Robert Plant, Ginger Baker, Albert Lee, Chris Farlowe, Carl Palmer and many more including Lee Mack, Eddie Izzard, Al Murray, Jim Davidson, Jason Manford, Stacy Kent, Leslie Garrett and Francis Rossi to name but a few.
The list is endless and there is not enough rooms to mention so many more.
We are very grateful to our wonderful volunteers without whom……
19 West Borough, Wimborne BH21 1LT
T: 01202 885566
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