Culture

The first performance of AP Waxkirsh's new one-man play "Spite and Smut and Tales and Lies" will take place at the historic 17th century thatched Barn Theatre, Smallhythe on Saturday September 20th at 7.00pm in the grounds of the early 16th century Smallhythe Place, home of renowned Victorian actress Ellen Terry - now owned by the National Trust. Lord Hervey (pictured) was Vice-Chamberlain at the Court of King George II and Queen Caroline.

Rye Arts Festival opens this Friday for two hectic weeks from Friday September 12th to Sunday September 28th with a free concert at the Community Centre, and some events are already sold out - or the best seats have gone. But many are still available either online from www.ryeartsfestival.co.uk or the Phillips & Stubbs' box office in Cinque Ports Street, open 9.30am to 1pm Monday - Saturday. Charlie Harkness reports on the full programme and there are further reports on our Culture page

As Scotland stands poised to vote for or against independence, a young author talks at Rye Arts Festival about Robert the Bruce, a historic figure in the fight for nationhood.

Live and breathe one man's extraordinary and dramatic journey from escape to finally returning to his homeland to witness Robert Mugabe's betrayal

An Open Studios Day is being held at the School Creative Centre along with three talks as part of art's contribution to the Rye Arts Festival. Charlie Harkness reports.

Rye Art Gallery's latest exhibition "A Celebration of Light" opens on Saturday September 6 with works by Andrew Blyth and Andy Wood PRI RBA who now live in the Rye. For admirers of watercolours the exhibition promises to be one to savour with beautiful images of land, town and sea. And both artists will be working in the gallery at various times during the exhibition.

Almost 100 paintings by Winchelsea artists were displayed at the annual Bank Holiday art exhibition to raise funds for the town's Millennium Artefacts Fund.

Brickwall Music and Arts Society completed its forty-seventh season last month with a wonderfully enjoyable concert in the Great Space at St. Ronan's School, Hawkhurst.

Fairlight's hidden secrets include a bunker under the Fire Hills - and a dinosaur's footprints. Haydon Luke reveals these secrets in his new book about this pretty Sussex village

Now in its third year the jazz and blues festival has been embraced by locals, tourists and businesses alike and not even the wettest of bank holiday Mondays could dampen the enthusiasm of the musicians, performers and especially the audiences over the weekend. In the words of festival director Ian Bowden: "Rye was buzzing!"

This Friday the artist Djibo will be exhibiting his vibrant and exotic work to raise money for charity at one of Rye's loveliest shops providing an appropriately chic backdrop for Djibo's African based work. The proceeds will go to help children... and there's free fizz as well

The first auditions for Acting Up in Rye's christmas pantomime took place at the Queens Head on Wednesday August 20 and Old Mother Hubbard herself would have been proud. With a clutch of enthusiastic thespians and a witty script that leaves no entendre undoubled, the group enjoyed a most productive evening that will be repeated at the second audition night on Tuesday August 26