The Chocolate Festival, New Road, Brighton

Tuck into all things chocolate at this massive Chocolate Festival celebration in Brighton, New Road.

www.festivalchocolate.co.uk

Michael Bedingfield joins the Brighton Festival Fringe as its new Director

Brighton Festival Fringe is delighted to announce that Michael Bedingfield, former Chief Executive of South East Tourism, is joining the Fringe as its new Director.

Michael has previously worked as Marketing Director at VisitBritain, Britain’s national tourist board, and as Head of Brand Marketing at P&O Cruises.

Michael said: “I am delighted and excited to be joining the Brighton Festival Fringe, heading up the team responsible for running the world’s third largest fringe festival.

“The Brighton Festival Fringe is an incredibly important platform for performers from all over the world and is a major driver for tourism and economic development for Brighton. The really special thing about the Brighton Festival Fringe is the access to so many cultural opportunities it brings for the residents of Brighton, as well as the many thousands of visitors to our city each May. I am looking forward to building on its strengths and ensuring the Brighton Festival Fringe is renowned as a world class festival.”

Originally from Hove, Michael was educated at Hove County Grammar School and has been involved in arts organisation in the city for years, as a trustee of Brighton Dome and Festival Limited and of online arts and culture resource Culture24.

Heather James, Chair of the Fringe Board, said: “Michael brings a wealth of experience and contacts to this role. We know his leadership will help raise the Fringe’s profile nationally and internationally, cementing Brighton Festival Fringe’s reputation as one of the world’s leading Fringe festivals.”

Brighton Festival Fringe is the third largest Fringe festival in the world and the largest in England. In 2010 the programme featured 665 events in 200 venues across the city and saw 172,000 attendances throughout May.

www.brightonfestivalfringe.org.uk

Meet the Artists -Pigment & Light at the Phoenix

Phoenix Brighton is home to over 100 visual artists. One of the core purposes of Phoenix is to explore the practical and intellectual processes of making art. On Saturday 5th February at 2pm three local Brighton artists, currently exhibiting at Phoenix as part of the Pigment and Light show, come together to discuss their work.

Internationally acclaimed Brighton artist Andrew Gifford began his career working with light, before becoming recognised as one of the UK’s leading landscape painters. Here he discusses the inspiration for returning to working with neon and tungsten.

Julian Vilarrubi, based in a studio on the top floor of the Phoenix building, has access to stunning views of the city and glimpses of the downs which provide stimulus for his meditations on landscape. June Frickleton creates sumptuous abstract paintings that deal with pure colour and form, with a richness and intensity that is heightened by the use of a reduced palette. Both discuss their use of colour and the part light plays in their work.

Pigment and Light ends on Sunday 20th February. It has already been very well received by audiences from Brighton and beyond with many coming back a second time and bringing their friends.

Phoenix Gallery • 10 – 14 Waterloo Pl, Brighton, BN2 9NB

Andrew Gifford’s light instillation at Phoenix Brighton, as seen from outside the gallery.  Photo by Hugh Fox.

Our Top Picks for Valentines Day in Brighton and Hove

Love is in the air and naturally the team at Brighton Visitor Towers has scoured the fantastic selection of events in Brighton and Hove that’s happening for Valentines Day and highlighted our top picks here…

• Fabulous Supper at Terre a Terre, the famous award winning vegetarian restaurant www.terreaterre.co.uk

• Tuck into Brighton’s authentic Thai restaurant Sabai  www.sabaibrighton.co.uk

• Dine & listen to the ivories being tinkled at The Townhouse  www.thetownhousekemptown.co.uk

• Book a sexy room at drakes of brighton hotel www.drakesofbrighton.com

• Spend an evening dining then sleep in style at the fantastically elegant Hotel du Vin www.hotelduvin.com

• Dine and Dance 12 February at the Valentines Ball at the Grand Hotel  www.devere.co.uk

• Pamper Treats – try the Romance Ritual at The Treatment Rooms  www.thetreatmentrooms.co.uk

• For the more adventurous – Buy a voucher for 2 for Orbing at Devil’s Dyke  www.orb360.co.uk

• Breakfast in bed? Sorted – Ring Bonjour Breakfast  www.bonjourbreakfast.com

Beady Eye at the Brighton Centre

BEADY EYE perform live at the Brighton Centre - The band (Liam Gallagher, Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Chris Sharrock) will be giving fans a first live taste of their premiere album in a series of concerts, which is proving to be one of the most hotly anticipated live debuts the UK has ever seen. Supplemented by Matt Jones on keyboards and Jeff Wootton on bass this is not a performance to be missed.

Tickets www.brightoncentre.co.uk

‘Bring The Light’ can be downloaded from www.beadyeyemusic.com