Brighton Festival (Yes, All Of It) Reviewed

With over 200 open houses, studios and assorted other exhibitions it is simply impossible to review every event in the Brighton Festival. However, if we take a few houses, some chance encounters and one exhibition which sums up the whole Spirit of the Festival ... and go from open houses to origami, and from street theatre to rock 'n' roll art in a dirty basement ... we can at least come to some conclusions.

So, where to start with the artists� open houses & studios? Well, the whole event started with a trail in the Fiveways area, 25 years ago. As Fiveways are now the Establishment, we can safely assume nothing exciting happens there and look elsewhere. So let�s look at the open houses and studios that make up Art in Ditchling, Beyond the Level, Central Brighton Artists and the Seven Dials group.

Ditchling is a few miles outside Brighton, and is the kind of village which could probably claim copyright on the word �picturesque�. It�s a place that has inspired artists for generations, which means that Ditchling Museum is a good stop for anyone with an interest in art. A small sprawl of buildings run by aged volunteers who struggle to take your money on the door, it�s not very impressive from the outside. Inside, however, is an outstanding collection. Of course, there�s lots about Eric Gill (Ditchling�s most famous resident), and Edward Johnston (designer of the London Underground typeface). There are works by associated artists, like the illustrator Amy Sawyer. Find her �Balloon Seller� hidden behind a display cabinet; almost lost, it�s a magical work.

For the Art in Ditchling trail, the museum is hosting a special �Sussex Seen; Images of Landscape� exhibition, in conjunction with the Towner Art Gallery. It�s a stunning little show. Edward Loxton Knight�s chunky oils rub shoulders with Chris Drury�s �Seven Sisters Bundle�, small constructions of found objects. Wolfgang Tilman�s �End of Land� photograph (pictured right) stands, symbolically, at the end of the exhibition: a pair of Duncan Grant sketches each side. There�s Jem Southam�s familiar �Dew Pond� photograph, and a small work by Victor Passmore. Best of all though is an unassuming watercolour by Eric Ravilious. Painted in 1939, �Cuckmere Haven� is absolutely timeless, capturing the sadness, space and emptiness of the Sussex landscape. It�s great to get so close to a work by Ravilious, that you can even read his pencil notes behind the paint � �Lighter�, it says behind one field.

There is, of course, more to Art in Ditchling than just the Museum. There are a number of open houses and galleries. Check out the Jointure Studios for some lovely if clinical work, but all vastly overpriced. For something more exciting, wander down to Beards Place Farm and the Handmade House. Unusually, there are a variety of rooms open (most houses just open their downstairs) and almost everything is for sale. There�s furniture by Ralph Levy, a collection of wonderfully atmospheric paintings and the house itself is just beautiful. The garden features a variety of sculptures, and gives any children a much-needed chance to explore and let off some steam.

Out in the countryside, it couldn�t be a more different experience than exploring the town centre trails, like Beyond the Level.

The dragonfly House at 48 Ditchling Rise (part of Beyond the Level) is another brilliant house, with rooms open across two levels and more work in an intimate courtyard. I felt a little sorry for the family rabbit, kept locked up for the duration.

There are stunning landscapes by Hannah Cole ('The Beacon', pictured left), who, like Ravilious, has captured the space of the Sussex landscape. There are prints and charming, quirky watercolours by Alan [Fred]Pipes ('Seven Sisters', top of the page). There are ceramics by Jon Grayfox which (if I hadn�t stupidly forgotten my wallet) would be sitting here in my studio right now, they were so reasonable priced. There were fantastic, timeless prints by Brian Grimwood. And a dozen or so other artists, besides.

Just round the corner is John Dilnot�s house at 24 Yardley Street. The light downstairs room is filled with his colourful prints, books and other multiples. With the work�s sense of fun, and colour, it�s not unlike being in an old-fashioned sweetshop. An honourable mention too, for rising star Joe Dilnot � a (much) younger artist with his own range of cards on sale.

Further into the city centre is the Brighton Central Gallery at 2 North Street. The home of Ruth, the organiser of Brighton�s monthly Contemporary Art & Craft Fair, the house is bursting at the seams. There are paintings, prints, sculpture, textile arts and crafts everywhere, including new work by Michelle Dawson (excellent digital illustrations of the Palace Pier), and familiar (but still worth seeing) work by Natalie Martin. I was keen to see work by Danny Noble, as the guide listing promised some of her line drawings, and if there had been originals there I�d have bought � but her self-published comics were all there was.

There�s plenty to see in the quieter streets of Hove, too.

On the Seven Dials trail, the Glass House at 3 Silverdale Road, Hove is worth visiting. It�s a haven of calm, and there�s a large kitchen full of art. There are some great prints by Kim Glass, including a great view of the Duke of Yorks cinema and an exhibition poster for just �5 which (if I�d had the missing wallet) I�d have bought without hesitation. And there�s work by the ever-witty Worthing artist Teresa Stewart-Goodman, with her almost-illustrative drawings of animals alongside the �Badly Drawn Toy� range of cuddly creatures and keyrings. Excellent stuff from half a dozen other artists and tea and the best homemade scones in the world in the back garden, too.

Also in Hove is Studio 106 in Coleridge Street. Over 300 square metres of old factory space are the studios of over a dozen artists. From dramatic photographs by Andre Lichtenburg and deceptively simple paintings by Henrik Simonsen, it�s a great space full of exciting contemporary work. The highlight for me (let�s be honest, the reason why I was there at all) is the intricate mixed media work by the ever-excellent Maria Tribe. Her work is full of depth - layered with history, memory and nostalgia.

Weaving together a number of venues is �Inside Open Houses�, a series of drawings by Rachel Eardley showing interiors of the houses and displayed exactly where they were drawn. Catch them at 3 Silverdale Road, 24 Yardley Street and other houses, if you can.

Of course, open houses aren�t all there is in the Brighton Festival. There�s a whole day of third-rate street theatre, with what blogger Fred Pipes described as �ex-drama student twats on stilts pretending to be surreal�. He�s not wrong: good street theatre is fantastic stuff, making you rethink the street environment, notice your surroundings and become more aware of the community you�re part of. The bad stuff that was around every corner in North Laine � musicians on stilts, rampaging gangs of oh-so-wacky monsters, pretend police handing out punishments for fashion crimes � just gets in the way when you�re trying to do some shopping.

Better to stick to the intelligent, considered world of fine art, then. And one of the most considered and thoughtful pieces on show during this year�s festival is by RAG artist Ingrid Plum. 1000 handmade origami birds grace the foyer of the refurbished Embassy Court in a piece called �Murmuration�. Graduated from larger to smaller, the flock of white paper birds curve around the foyer of the modernist building in an echo of the flocks that flew around the derelict West Pier. There�s an extra layer of meaning; origami birds are made to commemorate the Hiroshima blast, and Embassy Court is just opposite the Brighton Peace Statue.

The exhibition has been backed up with a series of origami workshops, including residents from Embassy Court. It�s a piece of work that balances ideas of place, community, craft and concept: and it�s a stunning public arts debut, well worth seeing.

And while this exhibition sums up the loftier ambitions of the Brighton Festival, it�s another show that really captures the character of Brighton. Sub Screen Sonic at the Fringe Basement, Argus Lofts, Kensington Street is an exhibition of rock �n� roll posters, mostly screenprinted. There are posters for DKT/MC5, Supergrass, Yo La Tengo, Stereolab and many, many more. The styles range from full-on psychedelic excess to a Photoshop-inspired, stripped-down 21st century style. But actually the exhibition is about a whole lot more than just pictures on walls.

There are also a range of workshops, including two-day sessions for artists and drop-in public access workshops for exhibition visitors. I produced my first ever screen print, under the expert guidance of Eleanor Grosch from Pushmepullyoudesign. The aim of the workshops is grand � to bring the craft of artist-produced posters to the UK, where it has been almost non-existent since the late 60s and early 70s underground died out.

And this is where the Brighton Festival gets good, when it�s about inspiring creativity, supporting new work and encouraging the development of skills and talent; rather than just rampaging through the streets on stilts or in face paint. The original aim of the open houses in Fiveways was to encourage and nurture Brighton artists, makers and designers. You�ll find that the original spirit exists in the younger open house trails: in cutting-edge public art like Ingrid�s installation: but most of all, you�ll find it in dirty basements where rock �n� roll is still god.