The growing and popular Thornton Heath Arts Week returns this Saturday with a week of free events across the area, aimed at appealing to all tastes and all ages, and helping to pull together the community.

Here is a selection of some of the events:

Saturday July 16: The Arts Week launches at 10am at Thornton Heath Leisure Centre with a selection of activities including T-shirt painting, a knitting workshop and exhibition, while the Ashdon Jazz Academy and various dancers will be performing on the High Street outside the Leisure Centre.

Saturday July 16 1pm-3pm: The Thornton Heath Book Jam. Thornton Heath Library is the venue for Croydon’s first Book Jam. Three local authors will read from their work and be interviewed and questioned by the audience. There will be musical interludes and the award of the prize for the Young People’s Short Story competition.

Monday July 18 8pm-10pm: at the Lord Napier, Beulah Road, “Saxophone Colossus”, featuring local saxophonist Don Weller, accompanied by Andrew Cleyndert (double bass) and Dave Ohm (drums).

Tuesday July 18 6.45pm-9.30pm: Lenses of Croydon hold their monthly Croydon Photography Forum at St Paul’s Church, with guest speaker Dougie Wallace.

Well Versed poetry open mic nights have proved to be very successful in Thornton Heath over the past two years

Thursday July 21 7pm-9pm: at Streatham-Croydon Rugby Club. Well Versed Poetry, a special poetry show featuring many of the performers they have hosted since their first event two years ago.

And throughout the week there are two special exhibitions:

A Pregnancy and Birth Photo Exhibition by Jackie Morrison
Saturday 16 to Saturday 23, 9am to 5pm at Croydon University Hospital Maternity Unit.

Age UK Art Exhibition
Saturday 16 to Saturday 23, 9am-6pm daily (closed Sunday and Thursday, Fri closes at 7pm, Sat closes at 5pm) in Thornton Heath Library.

For the full Thornton Heath Arts Festival programme, click here

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