Guide Public meeting will launch the eighth Festival of Chichester
Festival Organisers will set the 2019 Festival of Chichester ball rolling with a public meeting in the Chichester City Council chamber on Thursday, October 17 at 7pm.
Festival of Chichester chairman Phil Hewitt said: “The festival has always been a massive collaborative effort so we would love to be joined by lots of existing event organisers and also lots of first-timers as we start the planning process for next year’s festival which, remarkably, will be our eighth.
“We have come a long, long way since our first festival in 2013, and we were thrilled with a brilliant 2019 festival in which we broke all our box office records. It was a fantastic four weeks.
“But we recognise that the festival will always be a work in progress, and we would love to hear from anyone who can offer positive ideas for the future. You just need to let us know in advance that you are coming. Please just one person per organisation. Please confirm your attendance beforehand with me at phil.hewitt@ chiobserver.co.uk.
“We would particularly love to hear from anyone who might help us with social media. We were sad to lose Jake Barlow this summer when he moved away.
“Once again, we are hugely grateful to Chichester City Council for hosting us. They have always been magnificent festival supporters.”
Festival co-ordinator
Barry Smith added: “2019 has been a fantastic year for the festival, exceeding our wildest speculations when we launched seven years ago. It’s such a great delight to see so many arts events flourishing right across the city and out into the surrounding area.
“One of the special features of our festival is the way local performers and community groups get to rub shoulders with national and international stars.
It’s a magic mix and one that is bringing audiences flocking into the city to enjoy wonderful concerts and gigs, talks and readings by top authors, walks, tours and even cruises, films, dance, great art exhibitions, theatre and all the quirky, unusual events that bring that touch of the unexpected.”
It will be tough to top 2019, but 2020 plans are exciting. Chichester welcomes
Your Therapy Space, a new therapy and wellness business in Cawley Road set up by psychotherapist and Cicestrian Saira Keevill-thomas.
Your Therapy Space offers five treatment rooms in a central, but private, location in Angelo House.
Saira said: “With wellbeing and mental health awareness high on the wider social agenda at the moment, my goal was to provide discreet and luxurious therapeutic spaces, giving a home to experienced, handselected therapists to offer a range of disciplines and treatments.”
Saira, who attended Chichester High School for Girls and has lived in Chichester most of her life, started her training with Chichester Counselling Services.
“I want all our clients, whoever they are and whatever their individual needs, to begin to relax from the moment they step through the door,” Saira said. “There’s a wealth of research showing that well designed internal and external spaces really do add to our sense of well-being and our health. I couldn’t find a space that offered that in Chichester and when I came across Angelo House, it seemed the perfect opportunity to create what I had been looking for.”
Your Therapy Space was officially opened by fellow Cicestrian Kate Mosse.
“It was a great honour to be asked to join in the celebrations of his new wonderful business in Chichester,” Kate said. “I have known Saira for many years and salute her passion for her work, her vision and her determination to bring the highest quality of experience to her clients and ther-apists alike. In these days, when city centres throughout the country are suffering, this wonderful new business is a very welcome addition to our city.” 07811 380070.