East Sussex church bells renovated, renewed and re-installed after 300 years

Spokeswoman Charlotte Parsons said: “On July 22, thanks to a grant from the Newhaven Arts Growth Fund, Ring in the New will feature something for everyone. Families can participate in a free art workshop led by Hayley Cox from Natural Connection Sussex. Join Hayley from 3pm on The Hoe in Piddinghoe and create an ephemeral piece of natural art that will be offered to the river. Attendance is free, but booking is essential.

“The centrepiece of the celebrations will be the world premiere of Songs for Piddinghoe, a new musical composition by Christopher Moore of VOCES8. Performed by Tide Mills Choir alongside Harbour Primary School, the piece draws inspiration from the stories, experiences and lives of the community and will take the audience on a musical journey through the village’s history. The performance will take place from 6pm to 7pm at St John the Evangelist. Tickets are free but the church is small, so head to eventbrite.com to book your spot.

“The festivities conclude with a Ceilidh on The Hoe from 8pm. Everyone is invited to join in the shindig, accompanied by the fantastic tunes of London-based band Licence to Ceilidh. Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for children and concessions, including food and drink. Tickets for all three events are available by searching Ring in the New at eventbrite.com.

“The celebrations have been made possible by an award from the Newhaven Arts Growth Fund which is now in its second year of funding from the Newhaven Enterprise Zone. Ring in the New is just one of five grassroots arts projects to receive an award this year, demonstrating the commitment to fostering arts and culture in the community.”

Ben May, a representative of the Piddinghoe Bells project, said: “We're thrilled to be working with Tide Mills Choir and the wonderful Bells ensemble from Harbour Primary school to bring Christopher Moore's World premiere of Songs for Piddinghoe to the village, a genuine collaboration between artists, local singers and children as a powerful response to our diverse and collective history, memory and culture. Absolutely brilliant!”

Ring In The New – A Celebration is on Saturday, July 22 from 3pm-10.30pm at Piddinghoe Village, Newhaven, BN9 9AP. Tickets available via eventbrite.com.

Now in its second year, BN9 is a series of arts projects designed to develop the creative offer of, and reach under-served audiences in, Newhaven. It is a multi-strand series that aims to animate spaces, instill pride and involve the community. The programme includes supporting the Newhaven Art Space gallery in the high street, art in the public realm and oversees the Newhaven Arts Growth Fund grant award scheme to fund locally-grown arts projects. The programme is resourced by the Newhaven Enterprise Zone, steered by the Creative Newhaven Working Group, supported by Towner Eastbourne and produced by the Newhaven Creative Producer.

Creative Newhaven was formed in early 2021. The group comprises individuals and organisations from in and around Newhaven with an interest in developing the town’s cultural offer. The group meets at least bi-monthly and publishes the minutes of its meetings, along with other helpful information on the CN webpage.