A contemporary Exhibition Space showcasing new and experimental work from established and emerging artists. SVAF also actively promotes and engages with artists’ collaboration projects and formulate interactive community, school and University projects in the Gallery.
Rosalind Barker MA and Susan Evans MFA with the members of the Sevenoaks Visual Arts Forum, run The KCC Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope Art Gallery as an artist led space.The forum is based at the Gallery.
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Evoke:Invoke Exhibition presented by the Free Painters and Sculptors Group
Wednesday 4 March-Saturday 21 March midday
Evoke: to summon a memory, sensation, or philosophical state through artistic expression Invoke: to apply a method, process, structure, or constraint to the making of the work.
Evoke:Invoke brings these two ideas into conversation. For this exhibition, artists from the Free Painters and Sculptors were invited to consider how their head and heart converge within their practice—how intuition meets intention, how emotion informs method, and how memory, discipline, and experimentation intertwine.
The resulting works reflect the breadth of the cohort: artists at different stages of development, working across diverse mediums, each approaching the prompt from a distinct vantage point. Some pieces reach inward, drawing on personal histories or emotional states; others lean into process, rule‑making, or material exploration. Many occupy the fertile space between the two.
What emerges is a collection that is innovative, thoughtful, and deeply invested in creative growth. Evoke:Invoke celebrates the dynamic interplay between feeling and form, inviting us to understand how artists navigate between what moves them and how they choose to make.
Featured Artists: Ken Ager • Rosalind Barker • Nicholas Cheeseman • Joanna Ciechanowska • Sarah Cliff • Louisa Crispin • Susan Evans • Leila Godden • Richard Heys • Simon Hook • Maria Kaleta • Solange Keschmann • Alex McIntyre • Bettina Reiber • Veronica van Eijk • Sally Ward
Events
FPS Artists Discussion March 4 6-8pm
Sevenoaks Visual Arts Forum monthly meeting: A discussion with exhibiting FPS artists, Wednesday March 4th, 6-8pm.
Exploring Graphite with FPS artist, Louisa Crispin in the gallery and Meet Curator, Sarah Cliff
Thursday, 5 March 11:30-2:30.
The Sevenoaks Visual Arts Forum Fine Art Professional Development group and tutor, Samuel Herbert, will be attending this event.
Vocal Effectiveness for Artists workshop
Friday, 6 March 10:30 – 12:00 at Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope Gallery
Free Seminar for adults and teenagers.
Talking about your art practice is challenging even if you are well-prepared, relaxed and know what you want to say. But how do you ensure you use your voice effectively and increase engagement? In this short workshop, visual artist and tutor in voice modulation, Solange Keschmann, is generously offering insights and notes on how to achieve this. Solange will also be exhibiting in the gallery in March with the Free Painters and Sculptors group.
Places are limited and must be booked by email with Sarah Cliff: luscombehouse@hotmail.com
“What is it: To paint a tree?”
Friday March 6 1:30 – 2:15 at Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope Gallery
Free Seminar for adults and teenagers.
Explore what it means to paint a tree — not just technically, but philosophically and artistically.
Bettina Reiber will draw on:
- Her outdoor painting practice in Epping Forest, where she studies trees directly in their natural environment.
- Martin Heidegger’s philosophy, especially his idea of poeisis — the act of “unconcealing” something hidden. In Heidegger’s view, art (including painting) reveals aspects of the world that normally remain unnoticed.
The session blends art practice, philosophy, and personal experience to explore how painting can reveal deeper truths about nature.
Bettina is known for making complex ideas accessible. Her background teaching at Central Saint Martins and presenting at academic conferences means she’s skilled at translating deep theory into something lively, relatable, and meaningful. Her goal is to help ordinary people see why these questions matter in everyday life — how painting, perception, and philosophy connect to how we experience the world.
Places are limited and must be booked by email with Sarah Cliff: luscombehouse@hotmail.com
Family Printmaking Workshop using the Press, with Simon Hook and Sarah Cliff
Saturday 7 March, 10:30 – 12:30 at Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope Gallery
All ages welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. No need to book, turn up and try, leave when you need. Dress for mess.
The Free Painters and Sculptors
Founded in 1952 by artists associated with the ICA, FPS emerged in post-war Britain with a radical belief in artistic autonomy. Originally known as the Painters Group from the ICA, FPS welcomed artists with a ‘modern approach’—those working in both abstract and figurative modes—at a time when breaking from rigid, academic conventions was both bold and necessary. The group quickly became a vital force in the British art scene, playing a significant role in the establishment of abstract art during the 1950s and ’60s. Key founding members such as Roy Rasmussen, Lyall Watson, and Maurice Jadot helped define this legacy and are now represented in the permanent Tate Collection.
Today, FPS remains an established, artist-led organisation, based in London and exhibiting regularly across the capital and the Southeast. The evolving membership of painters, sculptors, printmakers and photographers represents a broad spectrum of contemporary practice and career stages. Through initiatives such as Monthly Artist Exchange sessions—informal Zoom-based gatherings where members share updates, present work, and connect in a supportive environment—it continues to foster a culture of artistic generosity, critical thinking, and creative growth.
With over 70 years of experience FPS helps artists build long-term networks that develop artistic sustainability, exposure and sales, encouraging artists to create works on their own terms and therefore be ‘free’.
Freepainters and sculptors.co.uk
Mezzanine Exhibition Space
Colin Anderson Drawings and Paintings
Now – 23 March 2026
REPOSITORIES Exhibition in the LIBRARY
An SVAF Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope Art Gallery and Library project.
BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS. THINK BOOK. BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS
2026 is The National Year of Reading.
The aim is to inspire people to make reading a regular part of their lives, bringing their reading closer to culture.
As part of our contribution to the national year of reading Sevenoaks Visual Arts Forum SVAF in collaboration with Sevenoaks Library present Repositories: an exhibition to be found on the top of the library shelving throughout the fiction section.
New artwork has been created by 13 SVAF members in response to the concept and physicality of books. They have explored memories and ideas in specific books, discarded books and the book’s components. You will also find handmade artist’s books.
Exhibiting artists: Rosalind Barker, Susanne Beard, Ann Bridges, Sarah Cliff, Louisa Crispin, Duncan Dwinell, Sally Eldars, Sue Evans, Martin Garwood, Marilyn Kyle, Jill Laudet, Irene Simmons, Franny Swann.
FREE ADULT Linocut Workshops with Carol Aston
Friday 20 March and Friday 10 April
Fully Booked
NOT JUST 7 OAKS the KALEIDOSCOPE FOREST of the IMAGINATION
The SVAF Community Art Project 2025
Thank you for all your arty Trees in every sort of media for our Forest of the Imagination on the Mezzanine outside the Gallery.
Thank you to The Otford Embroidery Group, The Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope Knit and Natter Group, EPIC St Barts Youth Club, Sevenoaks Adult Social Services, Otford Library children’s craft morning and Forget-me-Not-Cafe for many stunning fun trees.
Every Saturday in June and July the drop-in workshops at Kaleidoscope were enthusiastically attended by many families. The inventiveness and pleasure expressed in making by all the family members has made this a joyful project. We owe a big thank you to lead artists Sarah Cliff, Susanne Beard, Sue Evans, Amanda Hopkins and Irene Vaughan who volunteered to run them.
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