A NEW arts festival next month will mark the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings when William the Conqueror invaded England.

ROOT1066, which begins on Saturday, September 3, explores the impact the historic event had on the country’s culture and identity through a series of indoor and outdoor events staged across 1066 country.

At venues including the Jerwood Gallery in Hastings, the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill and Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, it will feature 13 new commissions and premieres on themes such as identity.

Hastings-born playwright and scriptwriter Sir David Hare is the festival’s patron. He said: “ROOT 1066 comes along at just the right moment to mark the re-birth of this part of the world. Its curious beauty and distinctive melancholy are as powerful as ever. But now at last it has sturdy young life as well.”

The programme includes the world premiere of new opera PUSH, written by composer Howard Moody and performed by soloists from Glyndebourne, musicians and a choir of 250 adults and children.

A series of installations by artists include a seafront immersive experience by light artist Chris Levine, famous for his 3D light portraits of The Queen, the Dalai Lama and Kate Moss, an exhibition by “Britishness” artist Marcus Harvey called Inselaffe, which explores the tongue-in-cheek theory that evolution must have stalled in the UK, and an immersive installation on language and its limitations called Buoys Boys by Turner Prize short-listed artist Fiona Banner.

Other programme highlights are photographs of people with a Norman surname by Nigel Green and Andrew Moran, an exhibition on The Story of Hastings in 66 Objects, which includes a 1066 silver penny and part of a Spanish Armada boat, and a show on the people and communities of Hastings staged in the shadow of Hastings Castle by theatre company WildWorks.

Festival curator Polly Gifford, from Hastings Borough Council, said: “Hastings has a growing reputation as a cultural hot spot for outstanding contemporary arts and ROOT 1066 shows off the best the area has to offer, with unique projects that will linger in the memories of audiences and leave a lasting legacy for the area.”

For details of the festival, visit www.1066contemporary.com.