Home of Surrealists

A Wealden farmhouse’s little-known artistic past as the Home of Surrealists will soon be enjoying wider public appreciation thanks to a cultural heritage fund grant from the WARR Partnership.

The Wealden and Rother Rural Partnership has given a £27,743 grant to Farley’s Yard Trust at Farley Farmhouse in Chiddingly to create two touring exhibitions to enable the location’s cultural legacy to become more widely known.

Among the leading artists and writers of the 20th century who had close associations with the Wealden farmhouse were Pablo Picasso, Paul Éluard, Henry Moore, Joan Miró, Man Ray and Max Ernst. Farley Farmhouse was the home of pioneering American photographer Lee Miller and her husband Roland Penrose. They had met many famous modern artists during their time in France before World War 2. Their Wealden farmhouse in Chiddingly, north of Hailsham, later became a popular retreat for many of the leading lights of the surrealism movement.

“The surrealist heritage of Wealden is one of the district’s lesser known attributes,” said Councillor Pam Doodes, Wealden’s representative on the WARR Partnership Board. “WARR’s support will help share this heritage with a wider public and spread the word about another one of the many local attractions which makes Wealden a great place for visitors to come and stay.”

Ian Chance, Arts Director of the Farley’s Yard Trust said: “These touring exhibitions are a great opportunity to present and celebrate the cultural heritage of Wealden and invite the public to discover something very special about the area.”

The exhibitions sponsored by Wealden & Rother Rural (WARR) Partnership will feature the artists photographed by Lee Miller and Roland Penrose, some of whose work was inspired by Wealden’s landscape and culture. Following initial showings at the Farley’s Yard Barn Gallery, these exhibitions will be taken to venues throughout Wealden and Rother before being extended across the South-East.

The opportunity to discover the artists’ links with Wealden is expected to be of educational benefits to schools and colleges as well as great interest to the wider public. The exhibitions will also raise awareness in Farley Farmhouse which is an attraction in its own right. It is now open on the first Sunday of every month from April to October as well as being available for pre-booked guided tours. Please visit www.farleyfarmhouse.co.uk .

The exhibitions are planned to start touring in the autumn 2011. Interested venues should email for further information.

Thanks to funding from Defra and the EU under the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), over the five years to 2013, the WARR Partnership has £2.4 million to award to projects which help to improve our rural economy.

Grants of up to £50,000 are available for activities such as: farm diversification; adding value to agricultural and forestry products; creation and development of micro-enterprises; tourism; village renewal and development, and the conservation of our rural heritage.

For more information and details of how to apply, visit the WARR Partnership’s website at www.warrpartnership.org.uk, or telephone the team for advice and guidance on 01424 787400.

^{text source : press release 24 february 2011 : www.warrpartnership.org.uk}