The Arts Society Cheltenham

02/05/2026

Our next lecture on Tuesday 12th May, 7.15pm at The Pavilion, Hatherley Lane, GL51 6PN, is ‘George Villiers The Duke of Buckingham: The Handsomest Man in 17th Century Europe’ with Lucy Hughes-Hallet.

George Villiers was the favourite of King James 1 and subsequently chief minister to Charles 1. Buckingham was a beauty and surrounded himself with beautiful things and Lucy will show us some of the magnificent paintings he owned - the Titians, the Tintorettos, the Veroneses. He was also a discerning patron - Inigo Jones renovated his houses, John Tradescant was his garden designer and he commissioned boldly innovative portraits of himself. But at the age of 35 he was murdered. Lucy’s book on Buckingham, ‘The Scapegoat’ won several literary prizes.

Please join us for the penultimate lecture of our 2025-26 season as it promises to be a feast for the eyes!

More information about us can be found here https://theartssocietycheltenham.org.uk/AboutUs/AboutUs.aspx

11/04/2026

Informative, entertaining and super knowledgeable lecturers are at the heart of the Arts Society.

09/04/2026

02/04/2026

It's nearly Easter, and spring beckons ..

The April Art eBulletin issue is out and is essential reading if you want to keep up to speed with events, classes, workshops and exhibitions locally. Please feel free to share ..

The stunning cover in this issue is an image by
Anna Lansley
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01/04/2026

Our next lecture, on 14th April, is 'And So To Bed'. It is held as usual at the Pavilion, Hatherley Lane, Cheltenham at 7:15pm. Guests are always welcome for a fee of £8.

Janusz Karczewski-Slowikowski will be talking about the significance and use of beds from the medieval period through to the 18th century both in terms of their association with the highest level of society and also the history of their construction, decoration and their textiles. Whilst studying for his first degree Janusz worked part time in an antiques shop, which he came to take over as proprietor. Such was his interest in collecting that he became known as the dealer who bought but never sold! He has lectured on antique furniture throughout Europe since 1975.

More information about membership and future events can be found on our website https://theartssocietycheltenham.org.uk/Home.aspx

19/03/2026

04/03/2026

It's nearly March, spring is in the air!! The next edition of the bulletin is out.

The colourful cover image is by Lloyd Wakeling, a member of the Cheltenham Group of Artists, whose Spring Show is on at Gardens Gallery, this March.

The Art eBulletin is essential reading if you want to keep up to speed with events, classes, workshops and exhibitions locally. Please feel free to share .. to receive your copy email [email protected]

03/03/2026

Our next lecture is ‘Scandinavian Modern’ with speaker James Vaux on Tuesday 10th March at 7.15pm at the Pavilion, Hatherley Lane. Guests are always welcome for a fee of £8.

James’ talk will concentrate on the height of Scandinavian Modern design in the 1950s, when it took America and Europe by storm but he will also examine 19th century design reform, leading to the functionalist and ideological roots of Scandinavian Modern in the 1920s and 1930s. He will also give us tips on how to survive an afternoon in IKEA (!) , by learning to identify what really is Scandinavian Modern and what isn’t.

26/02/2026

https://www.everymantheatre.org.uk/shows/birmingham-royal-ballet-carlos-acostas-ballet-celebration/

Having recently seen Carlos Acosta's wonderful production of Don Quijote in Birmingham, I shall definitely be booking for this when it comes to the Everyman Theatre from 14th to 16th May.
Don't miss it.

Birmingham Royal Ballet: Carlos Acosta's Ballet Celebration

26/02/2026

L S Lowry the Unheard Tapes is absolutely outstanding. I was riveted and Ian McKellen was just the right actor to voice it. Don't miss it.

An insight into the secretive 'matchstick men' painter as he guides us through his revealing life story in unheard interviews from the end of his life, lip-synced by Ian McKellen.

25/02/2026

Whether it’s putting on an acclaimed stage production or inspiring creativity in local schoolchildren, the passion and dedication of our members is what keeps our 351 The Arts Society local Societies moving.

Here are just three great initiatives that we spotlighted in our winter edition of ‘The Arts Society Magazine’…

Full steam ahead for the Community Textile Timeline Project! In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, The Arts Society Alresford has contributed to a series of 18 1.5-metre panels that trace the industry’s fascinating history. Arts Volunteering lead Jane Varrall helped to coordinate a local team of volunteers to work on the project, and the panels will be displayed across Hampshire until spring 2026.

Using a grant from The Arts Society Rudgwick, a contemporary adaptation of Jane Austen’s ‘Mansfield Park’ from upcoming scriptwriter Louis Emmitt-Stern was held at the Guildford School of Acting last year. Performed by drama students from the University of Surrey, the play received much critical attention and has further confirmed Emmitt-Stern as a rising star in the theatre world. Bravo!

And, finally, as spring approaches, why not take a walk around Knowle Park? In partnership with the park and wood sculptor Ella Fielding – and using a Patricia Fay Memorial Fund Grant – The Arts Society Cranleigh launched the ‘A Face in The Trees’ competition. The project challenged children from Cranleigh schools to design an imaginative ‘face’, and the seven winning designs can be spotted by eagle-eyed visitors on trees throughout the park.

To keep up to date with more of the work of our local Societies, head to our bio for information on how to register for our award-winning magazine.

Pictured here is the cast of Louis Emmitt-Stern’s adaptation of ‘Mansfield Park’