Worthing Arts Council networks, promotes, supports and campaigns for arts groups, clubs and organisations in the town. It has around 70 members, representing everything from professional artists to leisure painters, puppet theatre to poetry, amateur theatre to edgy film-making, and Worthing's many arts festivals.

Worthing Arts Council holds monthly meetings for members, bringing them together to share skills, resources and ideas. Join the group (usually on the first Wednesday of every month, from 8pm); admission for first-time visitors is free. Venues vary so please contact 07766 773 764 for details.

Worthing Arts Council Membership Form

Worthing Arts Council Strategy for the arts

A letter from Worthing Arts Council's chair

Worthing Arts Council was established in 2000, and is a formally constituted, non-profit-sharing arts group, with a constitution which is available to members. The constitution includes the usual process for election of officers, with all committee posts nominated and seconded before an annual vote by Worthing Arts Council members.

We have a wide membership representing over 70 arts groups, and individuals working in the arts locally, representing all the major events on Worthing's arts calendar like the End of the Pier International Film Festival, Sunny Worthing Arts Festival, Worthing Open Houses, Worthing Music & Arts Festival and Made In Worthing.

Meetings take place every month; these are open to all, and many of our individual members also promote these meetings to their own mailing lists and through their own channels. Worthing Arts Council meetings take place in a variety of venues, which in the past have included the Connaught Theatre, Beechwood Hall Hotel and Worthing Town Hall. The past three meetings have been held at Coast cafe, as they have had the regeneration of nearby Splash Point on the agenda, and the next will be held at Henry House.

Early in 2009, Worthing Arts Council managed the 'Ice Prince Festival', marking the first anniversary of the shipwreck which saw thousands of tons of timber hit Worthing beach. Funding was granted through a widely-publicised public competition, with a selection group including arts council representatives, alongside members of Worthing Borough Council. The selection group chose a variety of proposals covering as many art forms as possible, focusing on bringing new art in many forms to the town.

Building on the success of the Ice Prince Festival, a new scheme for distribution of further funding is to be announced later this year. Details will be given to Worthing Arts Council members, to the press and here on www.worthingarts.com. The process for deciding Worthing Arts Council's grants will be open and transparent, as would be expected of any body dealing with public funds, and our volunteer committee are taking the time they need to set up a process that is robust, transparent and useful.

Stefan Sykes
Chair
Worthing Arts Council