The outdoor drive-in event of the autumn season, Made in Sussex brings Mozart and Verdi to the world’s largest LCD screen amid stately Sussex surrounds
Made in Sussex is the first festival from events company Big Sky Drive In, formed by two Lewes mums in lockdown, Lara Leslie and Vicki Owen. For their debut they’ve partnered with Glyndebourne Opera who will be providing recordings of some of their best-loved performances for the big screen, among them Cosi Fan Tutte, The Marriage of Figaro (both Mozart) and La Traviata (Verdi). Guests can enjoy the show from the comfort of their cars in the stately grounds of Glynde Place, East Sussex.
To kick the weekend (2-4 October 2020) of entertainment off, Kooks guitarist and co-founder Hugh Harris will appear live (and on the 60sqm all-weather LCD big screen) on Friday 2 October, with the world-first performance of songs from his first solo album, Curious Illusions, which was released in the UK on 11 September 2020. Fittingly Hugh is also an alumnus of Glyndebourne Opera’s youth programme.
Films on show include Hope Gap, the new film from Lewes-based film director William Nicholson. Nicholson, whose previous credits include Gladiator and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, will be present in person to introduce his film on the Sunday. Other films on the programme include: Summerland, a WW2 drama set in Kent and filmed on location in East Sussex; Strike, a feature-length animation about a mole with dreams of being a footballer, from East Sussex animation studio Gigglefish; and the 2020 film Emma, based on Jane Austen’s novel and filmed just a few miles away at Firle Estate.
Food and drink will be provided by Sussex caterers Seven Sisters Spices, Caccia & Tails, and Crepes de la Crème, and the mobile bar will be serving locally-sourced drinks, including sparkling wines from the county, these days rivalling offerings from Champagne.
Generous sponsorship from East Sussex companies means that the organisers are able to keep the ticket price per car down to a minimum (tickets start at just £20) and 50 NHS workers will go for free.
Ultimately, Made in Sussex has three aims: to bring more people to the arts; to provide an affordable, fun day out in a one of England’s loveliest settings for all ages, and in the safety of your own car; and to celebrate the magic of the county of East Sussex and the South Downs National Park.
To buy tickets or for more information visit www.bigskydrivein.co.uk.
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