The Cellar Arts Club is excited to be part of Worthing Festival 2023. We are proud to host eight different events, ranging from art to dancing to comedy and beyond. Why not get involved? The events are listed below with their ticket links. Remember, our capacity is 50 - so grab 'em while they're hot!

7:30PM to 12:00AM

PRE-FESTIVAL WARM-UP! PARTY EXPRESS - DISCO/FUNK 1974-1979

A night capturing the spirit of legendary New York Club 'Studio 54', playing the very best of Disco and Funk from the 1970's. Yes there will be chart classics you know & love, but also great dance grooves and underground gems that may not have entered your consciousness.Expect to hear tracks from the likes of Anita Ward / Archie Bell / Arpadys / Aretha Franklin / Bee Gees / Ben E King / Bohannon / B T Express / Cerrone / Chic / Commodores / Curtis Mayfield / Diana Ross / Donna Summer / Eddie Harris / Edwin Starr / Fatback Band / Gloria Gaynor / Grace Jones / Herbie Hancock / KC & The Sunshine Band / LaBelle / The O’Jays / Parliament / Rick James / Sister Sledge / Sly & The Family Stone / Space / The Trampps / The Undisputed Truth / Wild Cherry , and many many more....It's not a themed period costume night, but in the spirit of the original Studio 54 Club we ask that you come dressed to impress. DJ Pete Fij (Never Stop & This Is Pop!)
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7:30PM to 12:00AM

COASTAL STRINGS

A lively evening of classical, contemporary, folk and jazz from the superb Coastal Strings Trio. Erin, Emily and Stefan play Violin, Viola, Cello and you are very welcome to join in (percussion will be provided...) DJ SW-1 wil be giving support, beats and continuing with the after-show party. Guaranteed to be a brilliant evening. Performance starts at 9pm.
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12:00PM to 10:00PM

FRINGE VENUE FOR THE DAY: COMEDY ALL-DAYER

For 10 hours the Cellar will be jam-packed with comedy of every type, from 15-minute skits to half-hour stand-up to hour-long shows, each individually ticketed. Pop down and enjoy as much or as little as you fancy of this day-long laughter-fest. This event is FREE and non-ticketed - drop in for 15 mins or stay for 5hrs….."
12.00 - 13.00 Aidan Goatley - 10 Films with my dad: The Director's Cut
How do fathers & sons communicate? With Aidan and his Dad it was films. From John Wayne to 'Top Gun: Maverick', Join Aidan as he tells us how he finally connected with his parent with cinema and a lot of popcorn.
13.15 -14.15 Rebekka Turner
Bex avoids the usual cliches, telling you about her new baby, in a show of three sections. Expect fast-paced jokes, observations and wordplay separated by characters and celebrity impressions
14.30 -15.00 Marti Delon - From Sussex with Lunch
Stand-up and musical comedian, a life story told in anecdotal and musical form.
15.15 - 15.45 Sue Hicks - Sex, Drugs and Toilet Roll
Think Pam Ayres meets Sarah Millican. Not suitable for children!
16.00 - 16.20 Sha Wylie - On the Stairway to Heaven
The joys of old age - with jokes!
16.35 - 17.20 Ben Morgan: Three Cheese Straws For A Pound
Autobiographical stories of struggling to be a "good adult", while leading a sheltered youth in Winchester and working un a bakery
17. 35- 17.50 Chris Blackburn - The Grey Man
The Grey Mans Bible...
19.15 - 20.15 Kevin McCarron - Addiction: The Truth
McCarron, a Doctor of Philosophy and stand-up, mocks the most cherished, and unsubstantiated beliefs currently promoted by the medical profession about alcoholism and drug addiction.
20.30 - 21.20 Lizzy Lenco - Full Frontal Lobe
A darkly uplifting show about heavy metal, near death and cake. There is no nudity

6:30PM to 10:00PM

CRAFTY PUNK ROCK DRAW

Our Life Drawing and Craft workshops combine into one eclectic festival extravaganza. The first half is open to anyone who wishes to draw or have a go at modellingusing our props and costumes; get amongst it, "Be a model!", dress up, be part of the experience. Or express yourself through 3D claysculpture. The last half features a professional life model, carrying on thetheatrical festival theme. Music and drinks served throughout. Artistic festival fun!
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7:30PM to 10:30PM

GRAMSKI PRESENTS THE FREESTYLE RAP SHACK

Freestyle rap/spoken word don and festival favourite Gramski, who’s supported Goldie, Scratch Perverts and others, brings a special three-partshow to the Cellar. In Part 1 the MC will do an intro to freestyle, in Part 2he’ll create characters and “put them on a date”, and Part 3 will be a versionof his popular Bars Against Humanity night (“Freestyles based on your twistedsuggestions”). Skill, blazing talent, and plenty of laughs.
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7:30PM to 2:00AM

HEROES OF DANCE MUSIC: FABI PARAS

For the second Heroes of Dance Music we’re privileged to welcome Fabi Paras, seminal DJ-producer, there at the start of UK rave culture. He’ll be doing a two-hour DJ set and will also be in conversation, earlier in the evening, with music journalist Thomas H Green. Fabi Paras's careerblossomed from the original ‘80s Balearic explosion out of Ibiza, his own musicand DJ sets drawing on a unique approach to organic-sounding tribal percussion; ‘dubskunk’, he called it. He took music off in a whole new direction. A close associate of Andrew Weatherall and the Boys Own/Flying crew, he played at era-defining clubs such as Special Branch and Full Circle, while remixes such as for The Aloof’s ‘On a Mission’ and React 2 Rhythm’s ‘I Know You Like It’ (onGuerilla Records) made him much in demand. He recorded as Cool Lemon, Outrage and other monikers and fired out material on his Junk Rock Records imprint, but perhaps his most defining work is as Sound Clash Republic and the album ‘The Birth of Shiva Shanti’. Completely leaving the scene behind in the mid-‘90s, Fabi Paras became an enigma to his fans, reappearing unexpectedly a couple of years ago with new productions on the way.This is a one-off opportunity to catch him and his music, old and new, in anintimate, 50-cap venue. This is a WorthingFestival 2023 event.
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4:00PM to 7:00PM

THE DEFINING 10: HELEN O’HARA OF DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS

Special Worthing Festival afternoon of the popular night. The Defining Ten is where an artist/creative is invited to take us on a musical dot to dot journey of The Defining Ten is where an artist/creative is invited to take us on a musical dot to dot journey of the tracks which have led them to who they are today. These could be the first song they have a memory of, first purchase, first song they learnt to play, the track which opened doors, the track which closed doors, a track which inspired and lead to a new musical direction - so expect a variety of tracks from themselves and other artists. These tracks will be played in turn - either from vinyl, cd or streamed - and discussed with the artist. The event will end with a unique performance and chance to meet the artist afterwards. On Saturday 17th of June for a special matinee Defining Ten event we bring HELEN O'HARA of the beloved DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS to Worthing At the age of 9 Helen O’Hara decided she was going to be a violinist. Brought up on a mixture of both classical and pop music her heart was ruled by the allure of pop. After rising through youth orchestras in her teens she rebelled, joined a prog rock band and then was later headhunted to join Dexys Midnight Runners, declining an offer from the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra to do so. Within a few weeks Dexys’ “Come On Eileen” was topping the charts and became one of the most iconic hits of the 80s. Helen stayed with Dexys over the coming years with the Too-Rye-Ay tour and the tumultuous recording of their now recognised masterpiece 3rd album Don’t Stand Me Down, with her relationship with Kevin Rowland inspiring the classic track “What’s She Like.” After Dexys disbanded she worked closely with Tanita Tikaram, wrote two instrumental albums featuring Nicky Hopkins on piano and then took a break from the music industry to raise a family. After 23 years the pop heart still continued to beat, so she dusted down her violin and returned to the world of music, reconnecting with Tanita Tikaram, performing with Tim Burgess of The Charlatans, writing her acclaimed memoir What’s She Like and reuniting with Dexys, working on their Let The Record Show album and performing with them for various live and media performances, including those celebrating the 40th anniversary of Too-Rye-Ay in 2022. We are honoured to have Helen join us in Worthing for a special matinee Defining Ten, where we will discuss and listen to the 10 songs that have made her who she is, followed by a reading from What's She Like.
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8:00PM to 12:00AM

MOONYA LIVE IN CONCERT

Following her sold-out show in January, Moonya returns to the Cellar! She's a one-woman French phenomenon delivering “lunar and aerial pop music” via loops, electronic drum pad, guitar, and voice. With three EPs under her belt, she’s now on a European tour promoting her forthcoming debut album, and hitting the Cellar Arts Club. She’s played on bills with Viagra Boys, Fatoumata Diawara, The Offspring and others and been likened to Grimes in the music press, but she's very much her own creation, a unique artist “using technology to replace the conventional band and present great performances entirely solo”.
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