Summer at Charleston

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Charleston is hosting a summer season of in-conversation events featuring Tilda Swinton, Susie and Nick Cave, André Aciman, Bob Geldof and many more.  

These intimate events form part of Summer at Charleston, bringing together bold voices and brilliant minds to share stories, spark ideas, explore contemporary issues and make sense of the world.  Held in the beautifully restored Hay Barn at Charleston in Firle, these intimate events form part of Summer at Charleston, which also sees the House, Gardens and Galleries at both sites opening seven days a week, 10am–5pm, from 22 July to 6 September.

Exploring the alchemy of collaboration, actor, artist and performer Tilda Swinton is joined by journalist and Dazed co-founder Jefferson Hack for an in-depth conversation exploring her distinctive body of work and the creative partnerships that have shaped it. (23 July)  

What makes an artwork immoral and why do these troubling creations have such a hold on us? In Depraved: The Story of Dangerous Art, writer and classicist of art Daisy Dixon discusses immoral art, censorship and why disturbing works continue to captivate us. (13 August)  

Queer Bloomsbury returns to Charleston for a night of queer excellence, strange explorations in the garden, very queer talks and a Midsummer Party. Featuring Symoné, Brian Lobel, Emma Frankland, Subira Joy and Charlie Wood with DJ Michelle Manetti and a line up of special guests across the evening. (15 August)  

Million-copy bestseller Call Me by Your Name is one of the greatest love stories of our time. In a new, sun-drenched graphic novel adaptation, André Aciman and graphic artist Sarah Maxwell explore the process of reimagining the novel in a new visual form, the enduring appeal of its characters and the lasting impact of this beloved story. (3 September)  

Both as a novelist and as a screenwriter, Courttia Newland has found himself, through circumstance or choice, in a place of opposition to the commercial mainstream. In Art of Opposition he reflects on his own experiences and explores the work of other oppositional artists. (11 September)  

Marking the publication of SUSIE, an exquisite visual and lyrical portrait of Susie Cave, this enchanting conversation between musician and writer Nick Cave and designer Susie Cave covers themes of identity, family, devotion and the profound experiences that have shaped their lives together. (19 September)  

The Uncommon Eye is a new event series bringing together a range of exceptional voices from art, design and culture, looking closely at the spaces people inhabit and the objects they choose to live with. The first in the series features designer Sue Timney in conversation with singer-songwriter and political activist Bob Geldof. (24 September)  

In a world constantly vying for our attention, having faith in your own (bad) taste is more than a small subversion. Bad Taste, is a deep dive into the joy and power of personal pleasures, quirks, obsessions and bad taste, from zine royalty, Ione Gamble with multi-award winning broadcaster, journalist and author of Slay in Your Lane and The List Yomi Adegoke and Gina Tonic, culture and sex writer. (26 September)  

Priority booking for Charleston Friends opens at 10am on 23 June and tickets go on general sale on 25 June at 10am. Concessions and £10 tickets for Under 30s are available for all events.