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A Heritage Open Days Event: Celebrating Creativity in the Cemetery – discover past and present creative talent and join in!
A day of free family-friendly activities in the unique location of Rectory Lane Cemetery – a beautiful, green and inspiring space. Dance, music, drama, art, storytelling and more. Be entertained and bring your own creative spark to life!
Participate in a wide and varied programme during the day at a time to suit you and your family in this central, accessible and beautiful spot.
Join a fascinating guided tour and discover some of the creative people buried here; learn from a professional how to take brilliant photographs of this atmospheric place with your iPhone or camera; join in a session of creative community dance; watch en plein air artists at work; enjoy live music and refreshments.
With your children, watch an extract from a live youth performance of the timeless classic Peter Pan (the boys who inspired the play lived next to the Cemetery); be inspired to write stories together with a published children’s author; create your own art together.
And more activities are planned to really celebrate our own and others’ creativity!
Please register at the booking link – this will help us to be ready to welcome you all! To join the photography workshops and guided tour, we kindly ask you to register your interest by emailing: team@rectorylanecemetery.org.uk
Draft timetable
9.30 – 11.00: Photography workshop for Camera Users
This immersive 90-minute session offers you the chance to take breathtaking shots against a beautiful and historic backdrop. Prepare to elevate your digital photography skills. An enriching experience awaits you! Email@ team@rectorylanecemetery.org.uk to be added to the workshop participant list
10.30 – 11.30: Books in the Woods playgroup
11.15 – 11.45: Peter Pan – performance extract by Gobstoppers Theatre Company
The Llewelyn-Davies boys, who inspired JM Barrie’s enduring play about the boy who never wanted to grow up, lived for a while in the house in front of Rectory Lane Cemetery. Perhaps they sometimes strayed from their garden through the cemetery gates and played their pirate games amongst the gravestones… Gobstoppers Theatre Arts are performing the play later this year and offering us a chance to see an extract of this enchanting performance in our outdoor theatre underneath the Angel of the South.
12.00 – 13.00: Love Story – family creative writing workshop with the author of Little Spirit
Local author AJ Freer will talk a little about her Little Spirit trilogy and how the cemetery inspired parts of the story in each one and then run a fun and interactive workshop, for all ages. You have the chance to create a story by creating a fun character, drawing your own map and taking that character on a journey through it which will create the basis of a story.
13.00 – 14.00: Creative people of the past – guided tour of some of those buried here
Of the 7,000 people buried in the cemetery, our volunteers have researched and written up the lives of over 1,000 of them. Within that are architects, artists, authors, photographers and others who used their creative talents. Our experienced volunteer guide will introduce you to some of them and share their stories. Email@ team@rectorylanecemetery.org.uk to be added to the tour participant list
13.00 – 14.00: Don Perera – musician
Don Adam Perera is a classical guitarist and teacher whose wide repertoire spans many genres, including classical, romantic, tango and Spanish. He will provide a beautiful musical interlude.
14.00 – 14.45: Creative Dance – all join in with Dacorum Community Dance
Join Lindsay and Louise from Dacorum Community Dance in this free fun dance session suitable for all ages!
15.00 – 16.30: Photography workshop for iPhone Users
This 90-minute session includes an integral 30-minute segment focused on photo editing, ensuring you get the most out of your captures. Set against a beautiful and historic backdrop, prepare to elevate your mobile photography skills. An exciting session awaits you! Email@ team@rectorylanecemetery.org.uk to be added to the workshop participant list.
Across the day: Jackie Henderson en plein air artist painting landscapes
Jackie Henderson is an artist who likes to paint en plein air – outside, capturing the views. ‘My intention is to paint a few images that evoke a sense of tranquility and peace. I see the timeless strength of the Yew trees making shapes that ask to be explored beyond, the perfect paths that pop in and out of the light, the Angel of the South joining the dance of the leaf canopy….and more.’