HELMSLEY Arts Centre's busiest season of the year kicks off tomorrow (Thursday) with a live screening from the National Theatre.

Terence Rattigan's masterpiece The Deep Blue Sea stars Helen McCrory, playing one of the greatest female roles in contemporary drama. Tom Burke also features in Carrie Cracknell’s critically-acclaimed new production. The screening starts at 7pm and tickets are £15 or £7.50 for Under 18s.

Monday, September 5, sees a very special lecture hosted by NADFAS House to promote Helmsley Decorative & Fine Arts Society.

The Boy Who Bit Picasso is presented by Antony Penrose, son of surrealist artist Sir Roland Penrose and American photographer Lee Miller. He grew up in Farley Farm, the old Sussex farmhouse his parents used to occupy in the village of Chiddingley, East Sussex.

Here, leading British artists including Henry Moore, Eileen Agar, Richard Hamilton and Kenneth Armitage, mixed with leading figures from Europe such as Max Ernst and Jean Dubuffet. Antony Penrose first met Picasso when he visited the family home in 1950. They became instant friends and thereafter he made many visits to Picasso's homes in France.

Antony has written numerous books, articles and two plays on the subject of his parents and their associates. He lectures widely and is known as a curator of photography, an artist and film maker. He is also the author of the best seller book, The Boy Who Bit Picasso, and is the director of the Lee Miller Archives and The Penrose Collection.

The lecture starts at 7.30pm, but anyone interested in finding out more about NADFAS is welcome to go early, with wine and canapés from 6.30pm. This is an opportunity talk to members, who will be available to answer questions and provide the lectures and events programme for 2017. The lecture is free of charge, but phone Rowena Godfrey 01439 770617 r.godfreyhdfas@gmail.com if you wish to attend.

On Sunday, September 11, there is a one-day workshop, Making Handmade Books with Silk Fibres, with internationally-renowned mixed media and stitch textile artist Isobel Hall.

The workshop coincides with an exhibition of Isobel's work at HAC throughout September, and the artist will be in residence during opening times the week leading up to the workshop. Isobel, based in Guisborough and southern Spain, is the author of seven published books and is in great demand internationally.

Her action-packed workshop offers the opportunity to make cocoon stripping paper to create fabric to colour and embellish. The inspiration will be medieval art, and the resulting fabric can be used for a book cover - participants will leave with the necessary information to create the pages and construct a simple book - or it can be made for wearable art such as a clutch bag or jewellery. The workshop is suitable for beginners and also more experienced textile artists. Participants need to bring some materials with them and others can be provided. See helmsleyarts.co.uk for further details. The workshop runs from 10am to 4pm and costs £40.

For booking, go to helmsleyarts.co.uk or phone the box office on 01439 771700.