John Hughes Arts Festival 2018
The John Hughes Arts Festival 2018 launches today, with a weekend of events planned across Jesus College.
The student-led Festival was founded in 2015 to commemorate the life, work and friendship of John Hughes, the College’s late Dean of Chapel and Chaplain. It has evolved into an annual weekend celebrating the creativity and community of the College, both highly valued by John.
This year's events begin at 3pm on Friday 2 February with the launch of the book The God We Proclaim: Sermons on the Apostles’ Creed, edited by John and Andrew Davison. Profits from the book will go towards a project commissioning the sculpture of 14 Stations of the Cross in stone in John's memory for Little St Mary's Church in Cambridge.
The highlight of the Festival is undoubtedly the open-hang gallery of student artwork, launching on Friday with an evening of food, drink, live music, poetry and a talk from Peter Florence, founder of the Hay Festival. The gallery will remain open all weekend from 10am-5pm.
Other events include a comedy evening in collaboration with Pink Week, a sculpture tour, workshops in life drawing and electronic sound making, zumba and lego in the JCR.
The Festival ends with a 'Four Seasons' themed formal for Jesus College students and guests. There will be a course for each season, dazzling decorations and a string quartet. This will be followed by a final farewell party in the bar with live jazz performances.
Shona Webb, Festival committee member, said: “This year’s Festival committee is the first to continue the legacy started by those who knew John personally. From the seeds they planted, the festival has grown and flourished. In light of this, this year’s festival theme is ‘Bloom’. This is the year of creativity, growth, and in the face of adversity, rebirth.”
“It is great way for everyone who comes along to share in a collective enthusiasm for the arts, whilst preserving the legacy of John Hughes, who meant so much to everyone who knew him.”
All events except for the formal are free and open to the public. The full programme is available online at at Festival website and Facebook page.
