Brighton festival is in full swing this month, and the city is bursting with activity; from dancing in the glorious Spielgeltent to browsing brilliant local art and chomping on cake in one of the Open Houses, there are street performances, art installations and pop-up venues every weekend in May, with the weird and wonderful (and everything in between) filling each corner of the city, and something to do from the moment you wake until well after the sun goes down.
The highlights for me this weekend started with the Swing Ninjas playing at the Warren on Friday. The Warren was a surprise treat – tucked behind West Street, but feeling a world away from it, the atmosphere seemed to be more like a country fair, complete with tepee , hay bails and barbecue, than a city-centre festival venue.
The Swing Ninjas were amazing as always. Regulars at the awesome Mesmerist, the ‘Quintessential Gentlemen of Swing’ played their set of New Orleans Swing and Parisien Jazz in front of a blissful crowd of toe-tappers and swing dancers (nobody stood still), with a strong contingent from Brighton Lindyhoppers doing some dazzling dancing.
Yesterday I went on a trail of Open Houses, walking in the wind around the Beyond the Level and Fiveways exhibits. I was so inspired by the art and craft on show, showcasing Brighton as an incredible city for creativity. My favourites were 8 Rosehill Terrace, showing some stunning canvasses by Tina Davies (www.tinadavies.eu), and the Dragonfly House, where I bought a beautiful vase by Alison Milner (www.spellermilnerdesign.co.uk)
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There was plenty of time to sit in the garden and eat cake before it started raining completely, but I also left lots more to see next weekend!
If you get the chance, try to squeeze in a few open houses before the festival is over. I’d also really recommend New England House, Glass in Fusion, David Williams and Guests, A Family of Artists and Friends for their atmosphere as well as their collection – but there are so many more!
You can also visit here for more information visit www.aoh.org.ukwww.aoh.org.uk
For further info on the Brighton Lindyhoppers, visit – http://www.brightonlindyhoppers.co.uk/
And to find out more about the Swing Ninjas, go to – www.theswingninjas.co.uk
Bye for now x
Suzanne blogs from Little Beach Boutique, a shop and workshop on Brighton Beach, specialising in handmade glass, craft and personalised gifts – www.littlebeachboutique.com
A Brighton Life 