ArtsNational Armidale

05/10/2026

Lee Miller’s War: The Photojournalism of a Combat War Photographer through Lee Miller’s Own Words

Date: Thursday 22 October

Speaker: Antony Penrose (UK)

What was it like to photograph a war from the front line?

Lee Miller was not simply a celebrated photographer. During the Second World War she became an accredited war correspondent, documenting the liberation of Europe and capturing some of the most extraordinary and confronting images of the conflict.

This month, Antony Penrose (UK) brings Lee Miller’s wartime story to life through her own words and photographs, offering a remarkable insight into the woman behind the camera and the experiences that shaped her work.

Antony is co-director of The Lee Miller Archives and The Penrose Collection, and his book The Lives of Lee Miller was the inspiration for the film LEE, starring Kate Winslet.

Venue: Hoskins Centre, The Armidale School

Doors open 5:45 pm | Lecture commences 6:00 pm

A light supper will be served following the lecture

Guest ticket $25. Students in school uniform – free

Tickets at the door or bookings via:

Antony Penrose (UK)
This lecture presents Lee Miller’s war photojournalism
across Europe. The story is told through extensive use
of Lee Miller’s o...

25/09/2026

Lee Miller’s War: The Photojournalism of a Combat War Photographer through Lee Miller’s Own Words

Date: Thursday 22 October

Speaker: Antony Penrose (UK)

What was it like to photograph a war from the front line?

Lee Miller was not simply a celebrated photographer. During the Second World War she became an accredited war correspondent, documenting the liberation of Europe and capturing some of the most extraordinary images of the conflict.

For ArtNational Armidale's October lecture, Antony Penrose (UK), Lee's son, brings Lee Miller’s wartime story to life through her own words and photographs, offering a remarkable insight into the woman behind the camera and the experiences that shaped her work.

Antony is co-director of The Lee Miller Archives and The Penrose Collection, and his book The Lives of Lee Miller was the inspiration for the film LEE, starring Kate Winslet.

Venue: Hoskins Centre, The Armidale School

Doors open 5:45 pm | Lecture commences 6:00 pm

A light supper will be served following the lecture

Guest ticket $25. Students in school uniform – free

Tickets at the door or bookings via:

https://www.trybooking.com/DHVQF

13/09/2026

The Art of the Japanese Garden: From Tradition to Modernity

Date: Thursday 17 September

Speaker: Professor Marie Conte-Helm (UK)

Overview: An exploration of the Japanese love of nature as expressed through painting and the
evolution of gardens from aristocratic landscapes to Zen-inspired designs.

Lecturer Biography: Professor Marie Conte-Helm is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and former Director General of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. She was awarded an OBE and the Order of the Rising Sun by the Government of Japan.

Venue: Hoskins Centre, The Armidale School
Doors open 5:45 pm | Lecture commences 6:00 pm

A light supper will be served following the lecture

Guest ticket $25. Students in school uniform – free

Tickets at the door or bookings via:
https://www.trybooking.com/DHVQB

02/09/2026

🌸 The Art of the Japanese Garden: From Tradition to Modernity 🌸

Discover the beauty, symbolism and enduring influence of the Japanese garden in this fascinating ArtsNational Armidale lecture.

Join Professor Marie Conte-Helm (UK) for an illustrated journey through centuries of Japanese garden culture — and discover how these timeless ideas continue to influence gardens around the world today. 🌿

📅 Thursday 17 September
📍 Hoskins Centre, The Armidale School
🕕 Doors open 5:45 pm | Lecture 6:00 pm

A light supper will be served following the lecture.

🎟️ Guest tickets $25 | Students in school uniform – FREE

Come along for an evening of art, history, culture and beautiful gardens. 🌸

Bookings - At the door or online: https://www.trybooking.com/DHVQB

27/08/2026

The Art of the Japanese Garden: From Tradition to Modernity
Date: Thursday 17 September

Speaker: Professor Marie Conte-Helm (UK)

Overview: An exploration of the Japanese love of nature as expressed through painting and the evolution of gardens from aristocratic landscapes to Zen-inspired designs.

Venue: Hoskins Centre, The Armidale School

Doors open 5:45 pm | Lecture commences 6:00 pm

A light supper will be served following the lecture

Guest ticket $25. Students in school uniform – free

Tickets at the door or bookings via:
https://www.trybooking.com/DHVQB

17/08/2026

Masonry, Manuscripts, Music: An Inspirational Journey Through Medieval England

Date: Thursday 20 August

Join us this Thursday as speaker Mark Cottle delves into the architecture, manuscript illumination and music of medieval England.

Mark Cottle has lectured on Medieval and Tudor history at Exeter College, Bath University and other institutions in the UK.
Venue: Hoskins Centre, The Armidale School

Doors open 5:45 pm | Lecture commences 6:00 pm

A light supper will be served following the lecture

Guest ticket $25. Students in school uniform – free

Tickets at the door or bookings via:
https://www.trybooking.com/DHVPZ

09/08/2026

🏰 MASONRY, MANUSCRIPTS, MUSIC 🎶

An Inspirational Journey Through Medieval England

Step through the doors of medieval England and discover a world of magnificent architecture, beautifully illuminated manuscripts and music that has echoed across centuries.

Join us for a fascinating journey through the medieval world with Mark Cottle who has lectured on Medieval and Tudor history at Exeter College, Bath University and other institutions across the UK.

From soaring stonework to intricate manuscripts and the sounds of medieval music, this promises to be an evening of history, art and culture — and a wonderful opportunity to see medieval England from a different perspective.

📅 Thursday 20 August
📍 Hoskins Centre, The Armidale School
🕠 Doors open 5:45 pm
🎓 Lecture commences 6:00 pm

🍽️ A light supper will be served following the lecture.

🎟️ Guest tickets: $25
🎓 Students in school uniform: FREE

Tickets available at the door or book online:
https://www.trybooking.com/DHVPZ

Come and discover the England of stone, parchment and song. 🏰📜🎶

02/08/2026

Step back into the rich world of medieval England, where soaring cathedrals, beautifully illuminated manuscripts and timeless music reveal the creativity, faith and artistry of a remarkable age. Join Mark Cottle for a fascinating journey through one of history’s most inspiring periods.

Date: Thursday 20 August

Venue: Hoskins Centre, The Armidale School

Doors open 5:45 pm | Lecture commences 6:00 pm

A light supper will be served following the lecture
Guest ticket $25. Students in school uniform - free

Tickets at the door or bookings via:
https://www.trybooking.com/DHVPZ

27/07/2026

Masonry, Manuscripts, Music: An Inspirational Journey Through Medieval England

Date: Thursday 20 August

Join us as speaker Mark Cottle delves into the architecture, manuscript illumination and music of medieval England.

Venue: Hoskins Centre, The Armidale School

Doors open 5:45 pm | Lecture commences 6:00 pm

A light supper will be served following the lecture

Guest ticket $25. Students in school uniform - free

Tickets at the door or bookings via:
https://www.trybooking.com/DHVPZ

16/07/2026

Dear Members and Friends of ArtsNational Armidale,

Our sixth lecture in the 2026 Season will be held this evening: at the

TAS Memorial Hall. (pictured)
Please arrive at 5:45pm for a 6pm start.

Please note the change of venue just for this evening.

Our Lecturer in July is Mary Sharp.

Mary is an experienced broadcaster and teacher with particular expertise in literature and drama. She worked for many years for BBC Radio 4 producing some of its most popular programs including Start the Week and Woman’s Hour, before joining the senior management team as a commissioning editor.

Mary has subsequently worked as a teacher and director of sixth form at a leading girls’ grammar school. She now runs her own company 'Opening Up Literature' which offers literature courses for adults including studies of Shakespeare and Creative Writing.

Her most popular course is 'Telling Tales', which explores how writers and artists have reinvented classical stories. Mary is a professional bridge teacher and lecturer.

The Title of our July Lecture is IS THIS THE REAL LIFE? How writers and artists have challenged our Perceptions of Reality.

When Lucy goes through the wardrobe into Narnia, when Harry Potter opens his letter and when Neo takes the red pill, they all discover that the worlds they thought they knew are only part of the truth.

From Plato onwards, writers and artists have been inspired to push beyond the everyday and to create other worlds that inspire our imaginations. This
lecture explores what these stories tell us about how we view our lives and what it is that we most desire.

The Prize for the July lecture is The Art of Fantasy by S. Elizabeth, a Visual Sourcebook of All that is Unreal in support of the Young Arts Grants Program

(Attribution: Siegfried Nugent at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10522694).