How did it begin

 

In 1995, members of the Horsham arts community posed the question, what is art, what role does art play in our lives and how can the arts shape and change our community?

In the early 90s, the Horsham region had a strong cinema scene, an annual, local performing arts event produced by the Horsham Arts Council, a significant regional gallery and the Art Craft Workshop. The 'arts' were contained, slightly marginalised and not necessarily a sector of our society that commanded significant attention, resources or energy. The 'Art is... festival' was launched in March 1996. Its intention was to bring together the disparate cultural and social groups of the Horsham region into one focussed and celebratory event. The theme for the festival would be open-ended and encourage participation and inclusiveness and broaden the public's perceptions and experiences of what art is.