This exhibition will showcase recent work by Clare Shepherd and David Norton, two Dorset artists.

Clare is a graduate of The Slade School, winning The Slade Prize on graduation. After five years in London she travelled abroad but came back to the Westcountry when she married. She returns to the Exmoor of her childhood to paint in both oils and watercolours.

David first met Clare when he began to study painting in the classes that Clare has run for many years. As David retired gradually from music – cello playing and some teaching – he found that painting was a way of expressing himself creatively. David works mostly in oils from still-life, enjoying the patterns and colours, and the relationship between these things.

Clare and David will be there for the week to welcome and talk to visitors

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

This exhibition will showcase recent work by Clare Shepherd and David Norton, two Dorset artists.

Clare is a graduate of The Slade School, winning The Slade Prize on graduation. After five years in London she travelled abroad but came back to the Westcountry when she married. She returns to the Exmoor of her childhood to paint in both oils and watercolours.

David first met Clare when he began to study painting in the classes that Clare has run for many years. As David retired gradually from music – cello playing and some teaching – he found that painting was a way of expressing himself creatively. David works mostly in oils from still-life, enjoying the patterns and colours, and the relationship between these things.

Clare and David will be there for the week to welcome and talk to visitors

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

Tired of being pushed around, thirteen-year-old Josh Baskin is convinced that all his problems would disappear if only he were an adult.

Then, as if by magic, he receives a helping hand from Zoltar, a mysterious wishing machine, and wakes up the following morning in the body of a thirty-year-old version of himself.

Director: Penny Marshall

Featuring: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard

Details: USA | Language: English | 1988 | 1h 39m

Showings:

1st April – 2pm Tuesday Matinée

Please note: Our Tuesday Matinées feature subtitles for the hard of hearing and will include an interval.

Tickets: £5.

Silversmith Yvette Cannon joins Twenty3 art collective Sophie Firth, Richard Gregory, Jindra Jehu, Zara McQueen, Sarah Moore and Hester Poole.

An exhibition of jewellery, painting, drawing, sculpture, and mixed media works which prompt a closer look. The artworks are inspired by themes including home, journeys, memories, family and nature. This show brings a new collaboration with the internationally renowned silversmith Yvette Cannon, who introduces a new medium to the group.

The common element is that the surface detail, materials, mark-making or form elicit closer scrutiny. We invite you to lean in, pick up a looking glass and visually explore the artworks – what can you see and why?

Twenty3 art collective formed after completing the MA Fine Art course in the summer of 2023. Since then, the artists have exhibited regularly as individuals, and together at their successful show Convergence at The Fine Foundation Gallery, Durlston Country Park last year.

‘A fantastic show and wonderful to see the evolution and synergy of the work’ Fran, Dorset

‘Beautiful, thoughtful, considered exhibition – totally in tune with its setting. The art complemented and enhanced the beauty and magic of Durlston – a convergence indeed!’ AG.

You are warmly invited to meet the artists on Saturday 5th April, 4pm-6pm for a drink. Artist talks will take place from 4.45pm onwards, to find out more about the work and our creative processes.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives.

Through snapshots of their life together – falling for each other, building a home, becoming a family – a difficult truth is revealed that rocks its foundation. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of the unconventional route their love story has taken, in filmmaker John Crowley’s decade-spanning, deeply moving romance.

Director: John Crowley

Featuring: Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh

Details: UK/France | Language: English | 2024 | 1h 48m

Showings:

Wednesday 2nd April – 7.30pm

Tickets: £7.50. Members and Friends £6.50. Under 18s £5.50.

Eight weeks of free interactive music for babies sessions that are child focused and non-verbal.

Our unique sessions use classical and contemporary music and live musicians. 45 minutes to relax and enjoy your baby enjoying music. Starting age 12 months and under.

Cost: Free but registration required. Places limited.

Please click here to register or email babigloomusic@gmail.com.

When a bomb endangers the Pha Tang temple, Satu an orphan child labourer decides to head north through the rich and feral landscape of Laos in search of his long lost mother with his new photojournalist friend Bo.

A visually arresting and emotionally resonant film, Satu: Year of the Rabbit explores themes of identity, displacement, and belonging through the journey of a young girl navigating an unfamiliar world. Shot with poetic realism and a distinctive cinematic voice, the film has cemented Joshua Trigg as an emerging talent to watch.

Following a remarkable festival journey, Satu: Year of the Rabbit has garnered multiple accolades, including being nominated for Best Debut Director and The Raindance Maverick Award at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) and shortlisted for the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize at the India International Film Festival. The film is officially BAFTA-qualifying and is hoping to pick up a BAFTA Cymru, with director Joshua Trigg set to appear as part of the BAFTA Cymru Guru Panel this year.

Director: Joshua Trigg

Featuring: Sonedala Sihavong, Itthiphone Sonepho, Vanthiva Saysana

Details: Laos/UK | Language: Lao (subtitles) | 2024 | 1h 33m

Showings:

Saturday 5th April – 7.30pm

Tickets: £7.50. Members and Friends £6.50.

Shaftesbury Arts Centre Art Group is a small practical group, meeting at 2pm on Monday afternoons in the Phoenix Room to enjoy painting. We welcome all levels of skill in all mediums.

During the year we have tutors in various mediums and aspects of painting. We have an exhibition once a year in the SAC Gallery and opportunities to join other exhibitions in the gallery at certain times of the year.

Click here for more information about the Art Group or contact Gillian on 07873 740979, email louthlincs1@gmail.com.

Spring 2025

20th January – Bring something natural to paint or draw. Rocks, shells, stones or crystals

27th January – Still Life; your choice, on your table, or the main table Kitchen objects

3rd February – Helen Baddeley tutors us in acrylic or watercolour techniques.

10th February – Helen continues helping us improve our skills

17th February – Half Term no workshop

24th February – Own work and handing in day for our exhibition

25th February to Tuesday 4th March – Our exhibition

3rd March – Spring still life

10th March – Richard Corbett will tutor the group in watercolours or acrylics

17th March – Richard will return to tutor us in the previous weeks work

24th March – Wood carver with his workbench to draw or paint

31st March – Joint topic

7th April – Bring photos of scenes you would like to re-create

14th & 21st April – Easter Break no workshop

Return 28th April 2025 for start of the Summer Term

Jackson, Mississippi, 1963. With the Jim Crow laws enforcing racial segregation, budding journalist Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan returns to her hometown after graduation.

But Skeeter doesn’t come home empty-handed. She has come up with the radical idea to interview local black maids and tell their side of the story in her book, a collection of their distressing, moving stories.

As she gradually wins the cooperation of the fearful African-American housekeepers to dish the dirt on the upper-crust southern families, she inevitably locks horns with bigoted community leaders, arrogant childhood friends, and her own family.

Director: Tate Taylor

Featuring: Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone

Details: USA/India/UAE | Language: English | 2011 | 2h 26m

Showings:

8th April – 2pm Tuesday Matinée

Please note: Our Tuesday Matinées feature subtitles for the hard of hearing and will include an interval.

Tickets: £5.

Evolving is defined as developing slowly. Jane Barnard, Gordon Close, Victoria Garland and Caroline Hughes are using this slow development as the basis for their exhibition.

Open 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 4pm Sunday. Free admission.

Eight weeks of free interactive music for babies sessions that are child focused and non-verbal.

Our unique sessions use classical and contemporary music and live musicians. 45 minutes to relax and enjoy your baby enjoying music. Starting age 12 months and under.

Cost: Free but registration required. Places limited.

Please click here to register or email babigloomusic@gmail.com.

A collection of bold and beautiful paintings of the natural world by Sara Westaway.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

Martha, suffering from terminal cancer, would like a friend to be with her when she ends her own life.

Ingrid, whom she’s not seen for years, agrees, and the two women attempt to rekindle their friendship. Almodóvar’s first English-language film won the Golden Lion at Venice..

Director: Pedro Almodóvar | Spain | 2024 | 1h 47m
Featuring: Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, John Turturro

Tickets: £7.50. Members & Friends £6.50. U18s £5.50. Film Society members free.

See here for details of Film Society membership.

A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.

Director: Michael Curtiz

Featuring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains

Details: USA | Language: English | 1942 | 1h 42m

Showings:

Tuesday Matinée 6th May – 2pm 

Please note: Our Tuesday Matinées feature subtitles for the hard of hearing and will include an interval.

Tickets: £5.

Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. 

Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.

2025 Winner of five Oscars, including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Leading Actress’.

Director: Sean Baker

Featuring: Mikey Madison, Yura Borisov, Lindsey Normington, Paul Weissman

Details: USA | Language: English | 2024 | 2h 19m

Showings:

Wednesday 7th May – 7.30pm 

Sunday 11th May – 5pm

Tickets: £7.50. Members and Friends £6.50.

Come and join The Music & Drama Group for an immersive, interactive evening of ‘Who Dunnit’, written by Myra McDadd.

Murder At The KO Corral takes place in Dead Moose Gulch, where Polecat Pete has been found dead behind a heap of horse manure! Meet the suspects, question and quiz them, find out how they knew Polecat Pete and whether they might have been the one who killed him.

Meet Sheriff P Knutt and help him and Marshall Wyatt Twerp solve the crime throughout the evening. There will be a prize for the winning team as well as a prize for ‘The Best Dressed in the West’.

There will be a 2 course meal as part of the evening. Please advise of any dietary requirements to murdermystery@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

Age 18+

Tickets: £20.

Come and join The Music & Drama Group for an immersive, interactive evening of ‘Who Dunnit’, written by Myra McDadd.

Murder At The KO Corral takes place in Dead Moose Gulch, where Polecat Pete has been found dead behind a heap of horse manure! Meet the suspects, question and quiz them, find out how they knew Polecat Pete and whether they might have been the one who killed him.

Meet Sheriff P Knutt and help him and Marshall Wyatt Twerp solve the crime throughout the evening. There will be a prize for the winning team as well as a prize for ‘The Best Dressed in the West’.

There will be a 2 course meal as part of the evening. Please advise of any dietary requirements to murdermystery@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

Age 18+

Tickets: £20.

Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. 

Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.

2025 Winner of five Oscars, including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Leading Actress’.

Director: Sean Baker

Featuring: Mikey Madison, Yura Borisov, Lindsey Normington, Paul Weissman

Details: USA | Language: English | 2024 | 2h 19m

Showings:

Wednesday 7th May – 7.30pm 

Sunday 11th May – 5pm

Tickets: £7.50. Members and Friends £6.50.

After her controlling husband dies, an elderly woman embarks on a trip to fulfil her longtime dream of climbing a mountain in the Scottish Highlands.

83-year-old Edie believes that it is never too late – packing an old camping bag, leaving her life behind and embarking on an adventure she never got to have – climbing the imposing Mount Suilven in Scotland.

Director: Simon Hunter

Featuring: Sheila Hancock, Kevin Guthrie, Paul Brannigan, Amy Manson, Wendy Morgan

Details: UK | Language: English | 2018 | 1h 42m

Showings:

13th May – 2pm Tuesday Matinée

Please note: Our Tuesday Matinées feature subtitles for the hard of hearing and will include an interval.

Tickets: £5.

Through the Garden Gate is my first solo exhibition and takes us through gardens and landscapes.

In his renowned poverty maps of London, Booth observed a paradox: the poorest neighbourhoods often flaunted the most enchanting window boxes. This striking imagery resonates deeply with my own experiences of hardship and resilience.

I am an autistic Dorset-based artist and have a degree in Fine Art. Living with chronic pain and neurodiversity has presented me with significant challenges in navigating life and stepping outside my comfort zone. However, I have been fortunate enough to access food banks and receive free flowers through Olio, which have ignited the inspiration behind this exhibition.

My artistic focus centres on transforming flowers, landscapes, and gardens into expressive works of art. I am captivated by the interplay of colours and textures, the dance of light and shadow, all encapsulating nature’s exquisite beauty.

As a Dorset-based artist, I passionately strive to capture the vibrant hues of the natural world. Whether painting outdoors (en plein air) or in my studio, I utilise bold colours and fluid brushstrokes to infuse my work with a sense of movement and energy. While I primarily work with oil paints, I also explore various other mediums, including mixed media, ceramics, and embroidery, allowing my creativity to flourish in diverse forms.

I graduated with a Fine Art BA (Hons.) in 1991 and have since exhibited extensively, selling my artwork and accepting commissions. One of my notable pieces, Spring Blossom, is part of the Southwark Art Collection and is featured in ArtUK’s catalog. Additionally, I had the honour of recreating a stolen painting of
King Charles I for St. Mary’s Church in Rotherhithe, London.

www.dawnthomsonart.com.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

Una Sonrisa (a smile) – an exhibition of bold, bright abstract paintings to raise a smile!

Colour, shape and composition with rhythms of latin, jazz and Afro-Caribbean music that might encourage you to dance a little, as well!

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

Step into a sanctuary of art and sound, where ethereal soft tones accompany each painting, inviting you to pause, reflect, and journey inward.

This immersive exhibition is a space to explore your inner world, awaken new perspectives, and connect with the energy of a New Earth through visionary art.

Art that speaks to the soul

Soundscapes that soothe the spirit

A space for contemplation and deep presence

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

A collection of retrospective textile and mixed media art pieces from members of this well established group.

A variety of techniques and subject matter will be represented in the work displayed and the artists will be on hand to discuss the work with visitors.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

To join the reading group, the only qualifications required are to enjoy reading and sharing ideas about books, and to be a member of the Shaftesbury Arts Centre.

We meet on the third Thursday of each month from 7.30pm to 9.00pm in the Rutter Room.

Contact Viv Rudd 01747 851619; reading@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

Join the Music & Drama Group in an exciting morning of Basic Stage Combat, which is part of our ‘About Drama’ series.

The workshop will be run by MC Combat and will cover basic stage combat techniques, movement and character. This session will be a physical session and has limited spaces available.

Age Restriction 18+

Cost: £10 per person.

Discover the electrifying story of love, adventure and crime that captured the attention of an entire nation.

Starring Tony-Nominee Jeremy Jordan and Olivier-Nominee Frances Mayli McCann, this award-winning production (including Best New Musical – What’s On Stage Awards 2023) re-tells the unbelievable true story of America’s most infamous couple, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.

Recorded live at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Runtime: 2 hours 20 minutes (including interval).

Tickets: £15. Members, Friends and under 18s £12.50.

To join the reading group, the only qualifications required are to enjoy reading and sharing ideas about books, and to be a member of the Shaftesbury Arts Centre.

We meet on the third Thursday of each month from 7.30pm to 9.00pm in the Rutter Room.

Contact Viv Rudd 01747 851619; reading@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

To join the reading group, the only qualifications required are to enjoy reading and sharing ideas about books, and to be a member of the Shaftesbury Arts Centre.

We meet on the third Thursday of each month from 7.30pm to 9.00pm in the Rutter Room.

Contact Viv Rudd 01747 851619; reading@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

To join the reading group, the only qualifications required are to enjoy reading and sharing ideas about books, and to be a member of the Shaftesbury Arts Centre.

We meet on the third Thursday of each month from 7.30pm to 9.00pm in the Rutter Room.

Contact Viv Rudd 01747 851619; reading@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

To join the reading group, the only qualifications required are to enjoy reading and sharing ideas about books, and to be a member of the Shaftesbury Arts Centre.

We meet on the third Thursday of each month from 7.30pm to 9.00pm in the Rutter Room.

Contact Viv Rudd 01747 851619; reading@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

The show where every child gets a present from Santa! Following last year’s sell-out performances, Honalee Media are delighted to present a brand new show this festive season.

Christmas is the busiest time of year at the North Pole, when Father Christmas makes presents to deliver across the whole world and when everyone gets ready for Santa’s Christmas Party! But this year somebody has been up to mischief…

Dotty the Elf’s decorations have gone missing, Dasher the Reindeer’s party games are broken, and what has happened to Pompom the Penguin’s Christmas music? It looks as though somebody wants to stop Santa’s Christmas Party – and that someone is Jack Frost!

Help get Santa’s Christmas Party back on track in an adventure full of fun, festive songs and party games. Then meet Santa at his home in the North Pole, where every child will receive a special present from him, after the most Christmassy Christmas show ever – HO-HO-HO!

Songs include festive favourites like Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, The Twelve Days Of Christmas, We Wish You A Merry Christmas and more!

Santa’s Christmas Party is a 45 minute, interactive family show, particularly suitable for 2-8 year olds, after which the adventure continues as each child gets the chance to receive a special present from Father Christmas in our popular meet, greet and treat!

For more info, see www.santashows.co.uk.

Tickets: £11.50 adults, £10.50 under 18s, £42 families of 4 (2 adults and 2 under 18s).

The show where every child gets a present from Santa! Following last year’s sell-out performances, Honalee Media are delighted to present a brand new show this festive season.

Christmas is the busiest time of year at the North Pole, when Father Christmas makes presents to deliver across the whole world and when everyone gets ready for Santa’s Christmas Party! But this year somebody has been up to mischief…

Dotty the Elf’s decorations have gone missing, Dasher the Reindeer’s party games are broken, and what has happened to Pompom the Penguin’s Christmas music? It looks as though somebody wants to stop Santa’s Christmas Party – and that someone is Jack Frost!

Help get Santa’s Christmas Party back on track in an adventure full of fun, festive songs and party games. Then meet Santa at his home in the North Pole, where every child will receive a special present from him, after the most Christmassy Christmas show ever – HO-HO-HO!

Songs include festive favourites like Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, The Twelve Days Of Christmas, We Wish You A Merry Christmas and more!

Santa’s Christmas Party is a 45 minute, interactive family show, particularly suitable for 2-8 year olds, after which the adventure continues as each child gets the chance to receive a special present from Father Christmas in our popular meet, greet and treat!

For more info, see www.santashows.co.uk.

Tickets: £11.50 adults, £10.50 under 18s, £42 families of 4 (2 adults and 2 under 18s).