The History of the Festival

The South West has arguably some of the most dramatic scenery in England. Within this, North Devon can boast rugged coastlines, sandy beaches, wide estuaries and a particularly intense clear estuary light, green countryside, and open moorlands. Perhaps this is one reason why it attracts so many artists.

Appledore Arts runs the Appledore Visual Arts Festival and is based in Appledore a small fishing village at the mouth of the Torridge Estuary, 3 miles north of Bideford in North Devon. For several years the arts community of Appledore have sought ways of further promoting their culture and economic value to the village and region. Click here to see Doorknockers.

The annual Appledore Visual Arts Festival has been running since 1997. During this time we have organised Festivals based on a variety of themes including Boatbuilding, Secret Gardens and Ritual Feasts. 2007 was our 10th Anniversary and the theme was ‘Wide River’. Click here to find out more about the Oral History Project.

Each year the Festival grows in content and has an increasing regional and national profile for producing a high quality and innovative arts event. Over the years several hundred artists have worked with us on a variety of projects including Residencies, Workshops and Events. 

Each year we invite lead artists, who are nationally or internationally known in their field. Artists who have been involved to date include:

Each year the Festival also features highly respected and internationally recognised ceramic artists. These artists have included Svend Bayer, Clive Bowen, Mike Dodd, Walter Keeler and John Maltby who have all held exhibitions of their work.

Appledore and the surrounding communities are served by two main towns; Barnstaple, which has become established as the main commercial and regional centre, and Bideford.

Bideford and the surrounding area has an unusually strong tradition of artistic practice with many active artists living locally. This valuable human resource has been nurtured and developed, which coincides with the evolution of Bideford as a centre for the Arts.

Within the area there is a high commitment to the arts. The Beaford Centre is one of the largest and longest established arts centres in England, and has for the last 32 years operated an arts service to towns, villages and small scattered rural communities.

The Plough Arts Centre in Torrington was founded in the mid seventies in response to community needs and provides a venue based centre with a range of performing and visual arts on offer. The Burton Art Gallery in Bideford hosts a range of exhibitions, provides a venue for Artists in Residence, lectures and conferences, and houses a permanent museum. In addition there are other Art Organisations and Groups such as Devon Artsculture and North Devon Artists.

Festival Archive

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 More Images

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