July 23rd 2011 at the Brick Kilns, West Runton
On Saturday 23 July 2011 there was an evening of poetry, projections and performance at the launch of the 2011 programme.
The programme was officially launched at the Brickworks in West Runton with speeches by Mike Pert (Festival Chair 2011) Tony Nash (Cromer Town Council and Vice Chair of Poppyland Partnership), Doug Smith (Mayor, Sheringham) and Robert Short (Honorary President).
Festival president, Robert Short said “Now we’re preparing for the second autumn arts festival on this favoured stretch of coast.
Why did we come up with the sub-title ‘On the brink’ this year. The phrase came from Ian Collins’ ‘A Broad canvas’. It was title of a chapter in his early book on the work of painters in the region: the chapter that focuses precisely on Cromer and Sheringham. I thought it had real resonance and suggested early on that we could attach it to ‘Coast 2011’. Without imposing a limited agenda on contributors to the programme in whatever medium, ‘On the brink’ evokes an element of risk and adventure. We’re in some place; when we take the next step. Whether ‘the brink’ is a threat or a promise, it’s surely forward looking. Perhaps, there’s a bit of the enigma about it, being not quite here or there: very much the fertile space where myth resides. Anyway, skimming through the programme and judging by the way so many of the contributors this year have run with the phrase, it seems to have caught people’s imagination”.
The launch was presented as part of the Norfolk Open Weekend.
