Our monthly lectures are held at the Whitemans Green Sports Club at Cuckfield, RH17 5HX on the third Wednesday of each month.

Doors open at 9.30 with the lecture at 10.30 after a short introduction. To access the Sports Club's website click here.  The meetings are held on the first floor which is accessed by stairs and a lift.  Accessible WCs are available on both floors.  There is ample free parking including disabled spaces on site.  Cuckfield is served by Metrobus 271 & Compass routes 31/31A.

Refreshments can be purchased in the café and the lecture begins at 10.30 am after a short introduction. Due to space constraints visitors must be limited in number and can only be welcomed to our lectures by prior arrangement. If you are a member and would like to bring a visitor please email us on membership.asms@gmail.com .

Lectures are free to Members.  Due to space limitations we have closed membership at present.  If you are interested in joining the society please send us an email at membership.asms@gmail.com and we will put your name on our waiting list. 

Membership is £55 pa 1st November to 31st October.

As well as entrance to the lectures members can attend the study days, trips and holidays offered by Mid Sussex and other local societies. To book a place on a Mid Sussex activity please email membership.asms@gmail.com 

Members also receive an Arts Magazine which is distributed 3 times year and the central team send emails with information about exhibitions etc that may be of interest.  From time to time one of the accredited lectures writes with the title 'Become an Instant Expert on...' and these pieces offer a deeper insight into a topic.  Additionally, the central team secure discounts, especially with travel companies, on our behalf and information about these offers is emailed and can be found in the magazine.

Lecture and Events programme

16th September 2026 - "A trip along the River Thames in 1749". A lecture by Peter Ross based on the 14ft long panorama of the north bank of the Thames created in 1749 by the Buck Brothers.

28th September to 2nd October 2026 - VISIT TO GLASGOW.  Organised for us by Heritage Group Travel (part of Martin Randall Travel).  A 4 night stay in Glasgow: highlights include guided tours of The Burrell Colllection, Kelvingrove, Dumfries House and Ardgowan house and much more.  See the Brochure and Booking Form in the Attachments Panel.

 

21st October 2026 - Annual General Meeting, followed by: Expressionists: Kandinsky, Munter & Blue Rider.  A lecture by Cindy Polemis on the birth of European Expressionism, which created bold emotional experiments in bright colours at a time of political and social upheaval. For AGM details see Attachments Panel.

28th October 2026 - Frida Kahlo: Her Life and Legacy.  A special lecture and lunch at Whitemans Green Sports Club which will complement the current Frida Kahlo exhibition at Tate Modern.   £30 per person

18th November 2026 - Monumental Squares & Fountains of Rome.  A lecture by Stuart Harvey will take us on a virtual stroll around Rome's most iconic monuments and delve into its history.

16th December 2026 - Caught in the Mousetrap: the theatrical world of Agatha Christie.  A lecture by Benedict Morrison looking at the work of Agatha Christie and her work as a theatrical experimenter who played tricks on audiences.

13th January 2027 - The Many Faces of William Morris.  A lecture by Joanna Banham. William Morris was a man of great energy, talent and versatility. This lecture reviews his life, his work, and relationships with other artists.  Please note that, exceptionally, this lecture is on the 2nd Wednesday of January.

17th February 2027 - The Bayeaux Tapestry: International Relations Then and Now.  A lecture by Hilary Williams analysing the tapestry as a record, how, when and why it was made, and recent conservation findings.

17th March 2027 - Architecture through the Ages.  A lecture by John Sherlock exploring architectural styles through the ages from ancient Greece, through the Roman and Byzantine periods, to the Renaissance.  Members will receive a guide to the lecture.

21st April 2027 - "Les Trois Grandes Dames" of Impressionism: Marie Bracquemond, Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot.   A lecture by Sarah Burles who will highlight the contribution of women to the Impressionist movement which took Paris by storm in the 1870s.

19th May 2027 - Clarice Cliff (1899 - 1972): the Doyenne of Art Deco.  A lecture by Vivienne Lawes will delve into the pottery industry, which had traditionally offered female artists the opportunity to excel.  Following the life of Clarice Cliff whose bold, innnovative designs later developed into Art Deco masterpieces.

16th June 2027 - Frick: The Man and his Museum.  A lecture by Mark Meredith who will explore the life and times of Frick.  Who was Henry Clay Frick and how did he manage to move from the classroom to industry and become one of the most prominent art collectors in the USA?

15th September 2027 - William Hogarth: His life, times and work.   Hogarth was the first great British artist, and in this lecture Andrew Davies will analyse his work.  Hogarth celebrated the highs and lows of human life, its industry and its idleness in many revealing portraits.

20th October 2027 - Annual General Meeting, followed by: Bellisimo Bel Canto: a short history of Italian Opera (music).   A lecture by Raymond Holden, using film clips, sound and performance artefacts to tell us the history and impact of Italian opera.