
The Arts Society West Essex
Founded 1970


Programme for 2020
Days of Special Interest
Visits

Some of the work we do as Heritage Volunteers
Church Recording
and charitable support

Supporting our 200 members is a committee of volunteers
OUR MEETINGS, VISITS AND VOLUNTEERING
Our meetings cover a wide variety of topics and our visits take us to different parts of the country as well as to many interesting places in and around London. Pictures below from our visit to Devon, September 2018 and Hull, September 2017. More pictures here
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | ![]() |

NEWS UPDATE
Newsletters
CLICK HERE
2020: overcoming the obstacles
The Arts Society West Essex received a note of appreciation from The Arts Society headquarters for being the first member society of which they were aware successfully achieving all three forms of Zoom lecture: in July our first Zoom lecture; in September an external lecturer using Zoom Webinar reaching both external and hall audiences; in October a speaker in front of a live audience with simultaneous Zoom webinar to external audience

The Arts Society West Essex is celebrating its
50th anniversary 1970-2020
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of WEDFAS-TASWE a group of members led by Sheila Turnbull has produced this wonderful banner to hang over the reception desk at our meetings. Ready for April's cancelled meeting the banner was finally unfurled for our first limited audience open meeting in October meeting in October.


One of the earliest members of WEDFAS, forerunner to The Arts Society West Essex, Norma Palmer, 93, hit the local paper headlines in May. The story of her pen pal relationship with an 11-year-old in North London had earlier featured on the Epping Forest Guardian Website.
Now a resident in the Woodland Grove Care Home, Loughton, Norma became part of the care home link-up with the Brent Youth Theatre project connecting young people with the elderly. The relationship of Norma and her penpal Bethany flowered when they discovered a mutual passion for piloting aircraft. More....
Virtual coffee morning and arts and crafts exhibition big success in August 2020

Eighteen exhibits were received for a highly successful virtual coffee morning and arts and crafts exhibition in August 2020.

Visit to Derbyshire 2022
Including a visit to the Nottingham Framework knitters, the plague village Eyam with its famous boundary stone, Chatsworth, Buxton, Cromford Mills and Canons Abbey.
Visit to North Midlands
September 2019
Our party nearly 50 strong boarded the coach bright and early on a Monday morning in September for our annual TASWE 'holiday' which this year was to visit houses, cathedrals and cities broadly in the Birmingham area.






Two local charities benefit from appeal

ArtsFest attracts 60 entries of members' art and craft to celebrate 50th anniversary of NADFAS/The Arts Society
The Box, Epping and Voluntary Action, Epping Forest are two charities that have benefited from The Arts Society, West Essex, recent appeal. The Box is a small local charity providing services for young people in the Epping area since 2005, including a safe social space after school offering activities and advice; a professional counselling service for young people; dedicated clubs for young people needing extra help and support. Voluntary Action Epping Forest is an independent charity known as a council for voluntary services or CVS. We have been supporting not for profit organisations in Epping Forest for more than twenty five years. Our core work is aimed at helping local charities and community groups to achieve their full potential. Services offered help to improve peoples quality of life and health & wellbeing
...and the winners are



As part of national celebrations for The Arts Society, West Essex organised an ArtsFest following a Day of Special Interest on 22 November 2017. Some 50 members entered examples of their arts and crafts which were much admired by those who visited he exhibition. Three entries were selected by a panel of independent judges to go forward to an Essex Area event and from here some items will be selected for national display by The Arts Society. Pictures: the judges at work and visitors to the exhibition. Credit Hugh Meteyard and the winners (from left): Marianne Surguy, Sylvia Keith and Juliet Hipkin.
Visit to Devon - Sept 2018

The Arts Society West Essex September 2018 visit was to Devon - again voted a great success by all attending with a vote of thanks to organiser and chairman Lis Goodwin (pictured above). Below is the team photo taken outside Exeter Cathedral.

Keep in touch with
The Arts Society
All paid up members of The Arts Society should receive regularly copies of The Arts Society magazine. Additionally you can request the monthly newsletter (right) by clicking here.
Change of name to The Arts Society West Essex is born
West Essex Decorative and Fine Arts Society (WEDFAS), affiliated to the National Association of Fine Arts Society (NADFAS) became The Arts Society West Essex on 4 October 2017 in line with the change of the NADFAS name to The Arts Society.



We're in the (TB Village)
News



Congratulations to Angela Peachey and the Church Recording Volunteers who have completed their TENTH church project in 25 years with the recording of Epping Upland. More.....
ABOUT US
West Essex DFAS was founded in 1970 and is a Member Society of The National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies. To remain in line with the organisation to which we are affiliated we changed out name to The Arts Society West Essex in October 2018.
Lectures are held at Theydon Bois Village Hall on the first Wednesday of the month at 10.50am except in October when the start time is 10.30am to accommodate the AGM. Coffee is served from 10.15 am.
Visitors may attend four lectures a year at £5 per visit. Please contact the Membership Secretary in advance.
ABOUT US
The Arts Society West Essex was founded in 1970 as the West Essex Decorative and Fine Arts Society and is a Member Society of The Arts Society. To remain in line with the organisation to which we are affiliated we changed our name in October 2018.
Lectures are held at Theydon Bois Village Hall on the first Wednesday of the month at 10.50am except in October when the start time is 10.30am to accommodate the AGM. Coffee is served from 10.15 am.
Visitors may attend five lectures a year at £7 per visit. Please contact in advance secretarytheartssocietywe@gmail.com


FIND US
Contact The Hon. Secretary
secretarytheartssocietywe@gmail.com
Tel: 020 8502 3998
The Arts Society HQ
The Arts Society Essex Area
www.theartssocietyessexarea.org.uk
