Fal Culture's annual BENOW festival has gone virtual for 2021 with a month long programme of events for all to enjoy. BENOW, a Cornish adjective meaning female/feminine, is a festival of events, ideas, art, community and activism to explore and celebrate the culture of women. All welcome. The festival has its own website: https://benow.falculture.org/ The full programme of events can be viewed here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAEXn86xMGc/JgyB5wMOxphRy-559b9xHw/view?utm_content=DAEXn86xMGc&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&fbclid=IwAR1OklUbo_pUuJlVG2Skur5tHSLtTtVqjPseCeXalMAthvTONPcAAuiUlyQ#1

Charles Napier Hemy RA RWS (1841-1917) was born in Newcastle, lived in London, studied in Antwerp, settled in Falmouth and is buried in Falmouth Cemetery.  He was the first Falmouth artist to be elected a Royal Academician and is celebrated for his paintings of the sea.  He was a sailor and had a boat fitted out as a floating studio, where he could observe the sea first hand. This terrific podcast by 'We Are on the Hill' tells Hemy's story interwoven with poems by Sarah Cave that are inspired by Hemy, his process and his art. https://weareonthehill.podbean.com/e/s01-episode-10-maritime-painter-charles-napier-hemy-ra-with-sarah-cave/

Do you fancy trying something a bit different this lockdown? One of our freelancers, Justin Wiggins, has formed the Book Sniffers Club. This a new creative wellbeing project which aims to get our noses back in books and make breathing fun again! So, why not grab a book and give it a go? You can find out how to take part on the club's website or follow the book sniffing fun on Instagram and/or Twitter.

Our Community Gallery is hosting a fascinating photography exhibition. The photos on display are by an amazing group of people who have taken part in the first 8 week discover smartphone photography project in Falmouth, run by Make it Better CIC and supported by Falmouth Cultural Services and The Little Parc Owles Trust. The project People got involved for lots of different reasons, to get more confident with photography, to learn how their phone camera and apps worked, to tell their story, be creative or get more confident about showing their photographs. People involved took part in workshops or location visit, taking photographs

Are you sitting comfortably? It's time for a story with the wonderful, Jo Lumber. Storytime usually takes place in Falmouth Library every Tuesday but as this can't happen at the moment Jo has recorded some stories for you to enjoy at home. Scroll down and discover a selection of children's favourites. There's more to be added in the New Year so keep an eye on this page

A visitor enjoying the exhibition at Falmouth Art Gallery Falmouth Art Gallery and the newly re-opened Royal Cornwall Museum have joined forces to stage two exhibitions, one in each venue, showcasing almost the entire ‘Cornwall Council Schools Art Collection’ which has been looked after by the latter institution on behalf of Cornwall Council since 2011.  This impressive collection consists of artworks originally acquired from locally and internationally renowned artists for the educational benefit of all school children in Cornwall and was begun in 1961 following an anonymous donation of money to what was then Cornwall County Council with a note attached reading