News


downsmail.co.uk Focus on space at arts festival


A NEW festival for the county town has set itself the challenge of getting more people involved in the arts.


Maidstone International Arts Fes-


tival brings together more arts or- ganisations than before to promote creative contributions at venues across the town. Workshops and performances ex- ploring art forms from publishing to painting and songwriting to singing will bring together artists and musi- cians from arenas including the Royal Ballet and Royal Opera House with local choral and dance groups. The event will culminate in a gala concert at Mote Park Leisure Centre on Saturday, July 15, attended by the mayor of Maidstone. Other venues joining the three-


week tribute to the arts include schools, Brenchley Gardens, St Faith’s Church and All Saints’ Church. The festival opens at Maid- stone Museum and the Mall Shop- ping Centre with an art exhibition on June 24. Taking its theme from the planet


Mars, which has a crater called Maidstone, the festival – from June 24-July 16 – will bring together art,


Tributes paid to pensioner in


fatal accident VILLAGERS say they are in shock following the death of an elderly member of their community in the grounds of Maidstone Hospital. Jean Downing (94)was attending


an appointment at the hospital, off Hermitage Lane, when her wheel- chairwas hit by a car that mounted the pavement at about 2.40pm on Tuesday, May 30. She was airlifted to King’s Col-


lege Hospital, but later died. Mrs Downing, who lived with


her daughter Myra and son-in-law Martin Knibbs in Chapel Road, Sta- plehurst, was well-known and loved in the village. Pam Payne, secretary of Staple-


hurst Women’s Institute, said the thoughts of members were with her family. She added: “Jeanwas a long-term member andwill be sadlymissed.” A minute’s silence will be ob-


served as a mark of respect at the start of the next meeting of the WI on June 13, where Mrs Downing’s daughter is also a member. Kent Police are appealing for anyone who saw the accident near the hospital’s birthing centre, in- volving a red Toyota Yaris. Contact the appeal line on 01622 798538, quoting reference number DS/MW/116/17.


8 Malling June 2017


inspired by Mars and space travel, will take place in five Maidstone secondary schools, run by Heather McRae from Venture Thinking and NASAAssociate Dr Jancy Mc Phee. OnSaturday, July 1, from 10am to


5pm, there will be public giant painting by numbers at The Mall. The Mayor’s Gala Concert will be


Pianist Reinis Zarins and musical painterMaryleen Schiltkamp


space and science. Ken Scott, chairman of Maidstone


Area Arts Partnership – one of the groups behind the event – said: “The festival offers wonderfully var- ied entertainment and the challenge to imagine a new future.” The art exhibition on Saturday,


June 24 showcases the work of local artists and schools, as well as na-


tional and international artists at Maidstone Museum Cafe and The Mall. Work by artists, writers and photographers, including Graham Clarke, Alice Anderson, Katja Be- here, Luci Eldrige, Christiana Kaza- kou, Daniele Spano and Stefano Terranova will be on show. From Monday, June 26, to Thurs- day July 20, creativity workshops


held at Mote Hall, Mote Park Leisure Centre, at 7.30pm on Satur- day, July 15. It features Natalia Osipova and ground-breaking artists from Ram- bert, classical pianist Reinis Zarins, musical performance painter Maryleen Schiltkamp, TheDead Rat Orchestra, operatic tenor Jorge Co- larado Navarro and mezzo soprano Maria Gulik performing a specially composed piece for the festival. Maria will be accompanied by


The Maidstone Singers and Mixed Blessings, who will also perform their own set. For more details go to www.maidstoneinternationalarts- festival.org.


Lions’ fun event is roaring success


FIVE Lions’ clubs fromacross the region have helped relaunch a fun tournament for disabled youngsters. The It’s A Knockout event at


Aylesford Sports College, in Teapot Lane, attracted five teams of six fromclubs covering areas including Maidstone and the Medway Towns. Competing against each other in


skills including fishing for a duck, netting the ball and bursting balloons, the winner’s trophywent to The Village People, from Maidstone. Hot on their heelswas The Fast and Furious team,with The A-team Cookery Group and Rock ‘n Rollers happy with joint third. The Options Care team took the title for best-designed Joker. Lions Zone 3 chairman Richard


Broomfield, fromLarkfield, who resurrected the games last played in 2013, hopes the event will now have a future.


He said: “The smiling faces proved


what a success itwas.” The testwas fought between the


carers and the Lions, who had to demonstrate their skill at hanging washing on a line. Mr Broomfield said: “The carers,


whowere much younger, won by a mile. I think the boys in our team showed they need a little more practice.” Each of the Lions groups paid for


the hire of the hall, while the ladies made the sandwiches. Richard said: “We found the equipment for the games fromfour years ago, so itwasn’t expensive to put on and the rewards of the event for those taking part and our 17 Lions volunteerswere huge.” The Lions organisation, which this year celebrates its centenary, raised £1.6m for communities in the South East alone last year.


Road checks to target drink-drivers


KENT Police is to target thought- less drivers in a month-long cam- paign to cut accidents caused by those who drink and drive. Random road checks – at all


times of the day – will be in opera- tion throughout June, with the focus on “high-risk locations”. Officers say they will be taking


an intelligence-led approach to tar- get those who recklessly drive


while under the influence of drink or drugs, with the aim of reducing the number of casualties and deaths on our roads. Chief Inspector Peter Steenhuis,


from the county’s roads policing unit, said: “Officers have to go to collisions where people have been killed or seriously injured, and all too often it becomes apparent that alcohol or drugs is a major factor.


“Our message is simple, if you


are going to have an alcoholic drink on a night out, plan anotherway of getting home and play your part in making the roads in Kent safer.” He urges anyone who suspects someone of driving while unfit to report them on 101, 999 if they pose an imminent danger, or anony- mously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


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