Culture

Lurking behind the quiet exterior of the National Trust's Lamb House this week lurks a frenzy of activity leading up to open air performances (weather permitting) of "Twelfth Night", but that's not the only event taking place there. The jazz festival at the end of August features a two day weekend event, and the arts festival in September features a marquee full of literary events over two weeks.

More than 23,000 visitors went round the Ypres Tower last year and this year the East Street Museum is featuring a display on Waterloo as part of Rye Arts Festival in September.

The Coastal Currents arts exhibition showcases local artists in their working environments. Here we profile Anna Wilson-Patterson from Fairlight

The coolest jazz club, skittering break-beats in an ancient church, and a teach-in with live music in a walled garden. Rye's International Jazz and Blues Festival has it all, over five nights and four days between August 27 and 31.

The three lucky winners of our book competition have...

The new summer exhibition by the Rye Society of Artists looks set to break records as fine weather, a new bright and breezy venue and a spectacular show tempts in collectors, locals and visitors alike

A new regular correspondent in Rye News, Heidi Foster (above), kicks off on the "Culture" page with some comments about the Jazz Lounge at last year's Jazz and Blues Festival, and the Maritime Festival

Showing at Rye Community Centre Film Club on Friday, August 7- Selma (pictured above). This Oscar-nominated film is based on the story of Martin Luther King's quest to obtain equal voting rights for black citizens in Alabama in 1965. For details of this and other movies showing in Rye please follow the link . . .

The box office opens, the opening procession has permission and Rye Arts Festival is on its way with the Studio School and pupil Maria Ezobi playing a big part

It's open air theatre time again at Lamb House on August 14-16. Shakespeare of course. But not too heavy. This year it's "Twelfth Night". Previously it's been "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (pictured above). And the young actors have lots of experience, with the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Broadway and the BBC.

There will be a rare opportunity this Saturday afternoon to visit what is reckoned to be Winchelsea's best medieval vaulted cellar, under the ruins of the so-called Blackfriars Barn.

The full programme for the fourth Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival was launched last week with nearly fifty events over five nights and four days from August 27-31, the Bank Holiday weekend. Charles Harkness reports.