Featured Artist

Languard Point, Hot Day in February by Brian Perry    Click image or here to read more…

With current events, over the coming weeks IAA will use the home page to present a series featuring works by local artists, some from The Ipswich Art Society.  With a new artist every three weeks.

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Welcome to the Ipswich Arts Association

On our website, you will find details of the IAA, its activities and those
of our many member organisations, which span a wide range of the arts.

Please take a look around, the headings and drop down menus will guide you through the various
subject pages on the site, which includes a comprehensive events listings page highlighting the
range of events and activities by our members, including, Literature, Drama, Choirs, Orchestras,
Film. Photography and more. If you have any comments or questions see the “contact us” page.

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 Featured Poems

In addition to our Featured Artist series we are pleased to also present Featured Poems,
a series featuring poems from members of the Suffolk Poetry Society.
Follow the links to view both the current and previous poems published in the series.

The Suffolk Poetry Society will be providing poems from their membership over the coming weeks.
With a new poem approximately every three weeks. The poems are presented in printed format.
The current poem and previous submissions may be found on a dedicated page by clicking HERE.

The current poem is by John Prior – Eating English

  Click  here to read the current poem and more from Suffolk Poetry Society

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Ipswich Arts Association News Column in the
Community News pages of the East Anglian Daily Times

In the Community News pages of each Tuesday’s East Anglian Daily Times
you will now find the Ipswich Arts Association column with Chris Green.
Recently featured organisations, many illustrated with photos, include:

Ipswich Children’s Book Group, Community Light Orchestra,The Orwell Singers,
Ipswich Chamber Choir, Ipswich Town Lectures, The Dorian Singers,
Rushmere St Andrew’s Music season, Trianon Symphony Orchestra and Choir.

Read the current column– featuring, Artist, Brian Perry,
Poet, John Prior, IAA General Meeting / Arts in Celebration 2021!

If you would like your member society mentioned contact the Chair of
Ipswich Arts Association Chris Green,  chair@ipswich-arts.org.uk

Click the link or image for pdf of current edition.

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Town Lectures and Concerts 2021

Robin Gaylard – Public Art in Ipswich 
Thursday 8th April at 1pm.

Public Art in Ipswich by Robin Gaylard
In January The Ipswich Society published a 32-page guide to the most notable works of public
art in Ipswich. We don’t go in for statues of the great and the good often seen in other towns and
cities, perhaps because of a history of non-conformism and radicalism in the town. There is
much to celebrate here and, it is to be hoped, there will be more to come in the future.

IAA is making provisional plans to resume its very popular programme of Lunchtime Lectures and
Concerts. Robin Gaylard will talk on Thursday 8 April at 1pm about Public Art in Ipswich, the
subject of his recent publication. At this time we do not know whether government regulations will
allow us to meet at our usual venue, Museum Street Methodist Church in Blackhorse Lane. If it is not possible, then Robin will give his talk via Zoom on the same day and at the same time.

Anyone interested in attending / viewing the lecture will need to register in advance, either for a seat at Museum Street (where numbers may be limited) or to receive a link to the Zoom meeting.
Please email Vera Rogers at vera.rogers1@btinternet.com to express your interest.

We are hoping to hold another lecture in May, with a concert in June.
Again, we can only work within government guidelines in place at the time, so watch this space
for news of developments following the Government announcement on 22 February 2021.

Details on the TOWN LECTURES & CONCERTS page.

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IAA Members – Keeping In Touch

Some societies have found ways to keep in touch with their members whilst unable to meet.
If you have set up a WhatsApp group or a communication circle or have found some other
way to keep in touch please let the secretary know: secretary@ipswich-arts.org.uk  If you
would be happy to offer advice to other societies on how to do something similar then would
you also let the secretary have a contact number or email address for advice, please.

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Covid19 / Coronavirus

Ipswich Arts Association and member organisations are monitoring the situation and
government advice. Regrettably event cancellations and postponements are occurring,
these will be shown on the website listings page. We will endeavour to keep as up to
date as possible with this but rely on member groups to provide information. However, with
changes happening daily, we would suggest double checking with the event organiser or
group involved before making a special journey. Links may be found on most listings.

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 Noticeboard

Cancellations and postponements.
 IAA have been receiving notices of event cancellations and postponements.
Some events were able to take place at the end of last year, albeit under
rather different conditions than usual, in order to comply with then current legislation.
However, the new stronger lockdown restrictions (January) will impact further.
Please check our Events page for further information, updates and details.

Gippeswyk Singers.
Gippeswyk Singers are searching for a new conductor. Geoff Lavery, our current musical director,
will be stepping down in June 2021 after a tenure of 10 years. We’re hoping to attract
an experienced and enthusiastic new conductor to lead us into the future and many more
years of successful singing. For more information and application details Click Here (pdf)

New Wolsey Theatre.
New Wolsey Theatre receives share of £1.57billion Culture Recovery Fund
The New Wolsey Theatre has been awarded £245,000 from the Culture
Recovery Fund distributed by Arts Council England.  www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

Stowmarket Chorale.
Stowmarket Chorale, a 65-member choral society with a 120-year history of putting on concerts in Stowmarket and beyond, received a nice present just before Christmas. Stowmarket Town Council approved a grant of £500 towards helping the choir get through this difficult time… read more

Ipswich Charter Hangings.
Due to coronavirus St Peter’s by the Waterfront is currently not open to the public.
It is therefore regrettably not possible to view the Charter Hanging at present.

Further details, notices and updates on our NOTICEBOARD page

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IAA Newsletter 

Current edition: Due to current circumstances, and the impact on members events and
activities the decision has been taken not to publish the usual Newsletter at this time.
We will however be publishing an online abbreviated version from time to time to keep you up
to date with both members and IAA activities. The website will also provide up to date information.

IAA newsletter is published three times each year, working in conjunction with our website,
it highlights news and forthcoming events from Ipswich Arts Association and its members.
Further details here:  Newsletter homepage

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IAA Online Newsletter – Jan / Feb 2021

Click this link to read the Jan/Feb Online Newsletter. (pdf format)

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Zoom Meetings for IAA Members

In 2020 IAA hosted a number ol Zoom meetings allowing societies to share their thoughts
about current planning and strategies to deal with the lock-down and the ongoing situation.
Starting in May meetings continued through June, July and August.
These meetings proved highly popular, with nearly forty groups being represented.

Have you or your society signed up for the Ipswich Arts Zoom meetings.
To pre-book contact;  Mary Odam, Secretary of IAA: secretary@ipswich-arts.org.uk

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IAA representing 50+ Arts Organisations in Suffolk

An introduction and welcome from Professor Chris Green – Chair IAA

Ipswich Arts Association has over 50 member organisations, which means also hundreds of
individuals directly and indirectly associated with its activities.The website is one of a number
of ways in which IAA aims to keep in touch not only…. click here to read full article

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Ipswich Chamber Choir

ICC with conductor Benedict Collins Rice will present a concert of
Handel’s Coronation Anthems on Saturday June 12th 2021

ICC invite you to join their online rehearsals – Tuesdays at 7.30pm.
From February 2nd – March 23rd

For more details and rehearsal link – email: ipswichchamberchoir@gmail.com
(a donation towards costs will be requested with the rehearsal link)

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Gippeswyk Singers

Gippeswyk Singers are searching for a new conductor. Geoff Lavery, our current musical director,
will be stepping down in June 2021 after a tenure of 10 years. We’re hoping to attract
an experienced and enthusiastic new conductor to lead us into the future and many more
years of successful singing. For more information and application details Click Here (pdf)

www.gippeswyksingersco.uk

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Stowmarket Chorale

Stowmarket Chorale, a 65-member choral society with a 120-year history of putting on concerts in Stowmarket and beyond, received a nice present just before Christmas.  Stowmarket Town Council approved a grant of £500 towards helping the choir get through this difficult time when in-person concerts, and even rehearsals, have been impossible to provide.  Read more

Further information: info@stowmarketchorale.org.uk  or visit:  www.stowmarketchorale.org.uk

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Ipswich Charter Hangings –  21st anniversary – 2000 – 2021

 Events to mark 20 years of The Ipswich Charter Hangings. were postponed due to
circumstances and legislation regarding Covid 19. So this year we will celebrate the
21st anniversary of the eight wall hangings that make up this remarkable work of art.
We hope to hold a number of special events and displays and it is also very much hoped that
the Ipswich Charter Hangings will once again be on public display this year.
The above plans are subject to Covid 19 restrictions/legislation regarding their taking place.
email: charterhangings@ipswich-arts.org.uk

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Hanseatic Ports and Hidden Talents

Pat Grimwade, a member of the IAA Executive (instrumental music), reveals another string
to her bow, with a knowledge of matters nautical in her book, Ipswich – A Hanseatic Port. 

“During the 13^th – 15^th centuries east coast ports such as Ipswich, King’s Lynn and Boston
traded alongside merchants of the Hanseatic League in the North Sea and the Baltic.
In that period, at the height of the wool and cloth trade with Europe Ipswich was one of the
most important and prosperous ports in the country…”  Read more (opens pdf)

Published by Ipswich Maritime Trust it is available form the following;
Tourist Information Centre, Ipswich Museum and Christchurch Mansion, price £2.

A podcast, to be released on Monday 20th July, features an interview with Caleb Howegego (Ipswich Museum). Pat talks about Ipswich, as a trading port, the Hanseatic trade, buildings and evidence from the period and a story concerning the location of the Hanseatic Steelyard. It lasts about 25mins.

www.ipswichmaritimetrust.org.uk

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The Trianon Enigma

When not chairing IAA meetings Chris Green may, amongst other things, be found, conducting
with the Trianon Orchestra and Choir, swapping baton for pen Chris has written a new book.

Charting the sixty year history of Suffolk’s best loved Symphony Orchestra and Choir.
In The Trianon Enigma, My Friends Pictured Within  its founder, Chris Green traces its
journey starting with a small youth group in the mid 1950’s, which became inextricably
linked with Ipswich, social developments and the changing face of youth culture.

Read a review by John Norman, Chair of The Ipswich Society – Review (pdf)

Books are available at the price of £10 from:
Ipswich Institute 15 Tavern Street, Ipswich IP1 3AA
Music World 16 Queen Street, Ipswich IP1 1SS
The Card Centre  6 Hamilton Road, Felixstowe IP11 7AU
Please check with listed outlets as opening will be subject to government regulations.

Books may also be ordered at the price of £10 + £2.50 P&P from:
Dominique Nightingale, 39 Quilter Road, Felixstowe IP11 7JL
dominique.nightingale@btinternet.com   tel: 01394 286928

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ARTS IN CELEBRATION
from Ipswich Arts Association

An online celebration of arts from across the region.

              

Arts in Celebration has now ended after a successful and extended run,
from September 27th – November 29th 2020
Featuring: Literature, Poetry, Music, Drama, Visual Arts and Dance
Arts in Celebration attracted over 1500 visitors and over 9000 page views!

Thanks to all who participated and helped create Arts in Celebration
and thank you to all who stopped by to watch. We hope you enjoyed it!

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Ipswich Music Day 2021 – IAA Classical Stages

IAA will bring information regarding Music Day 2021 as announced by IBC.

       

Our thanks to Music World, Queen St. Ipswich, for their support in
supplying IAA with a Yamaha digital piano for the IAA Classical Stages.
www.music-world-ipswich.co.uk

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Ipswich Arts Association:  Privacy Information Notice – click for pdf