The Society was formed in 1976 as The Bishop’s Stortford Decorative & Fine Arts Society (BSDFAS). We are a registered charity and a member society of The Arts Society, a leading arts education charity with a global network of over 380 local societies, bringing people together through a shared curiosity for the arts.

We meet on the second Tuesday of each month (excluding August and December) at The South Mill Arts in South Street. Lectures start at 10.40 am and coffee/tea is served from 10.00 am. We welcome guests at any of the Society’s lectures for which we invite a donation of £7.

The Society also organizes a programme of one day visits throughout the year to places of historical, cultural and artistic importance. Bookings for these are taken at the monthly meetings usually six to eight weeks in advance of the visit. One longer tour, generally lasting four or five days, may also be organized.

There are two ‘Days of Special Interest’ arranged for each year in January and August. These are highly interactive, last for about five hours and include three lectures with a coffee/tea break between the 1st and 2nd lecture and a longer break for lunch between the 2nd and 3rd lecture. This is an opportunity to delve more deeply into interesting arts subjects. Bookings for these are taken about six to eight weeks in advance.

We have an active Young Arts programme in which we encourage and support Young Arts projects undertaken by local schools, colleges and youth groups. With the young people we aim to build a lasting enthusiasm for the arts and an awareness of arts heritage and its conservation.

We have created a Church Trail of Discovery for young people aged 8 to 12 years. The trail guides them around the local church, St. Michael’s, looking at art, artefacts, architecture and history. This prompts young people to enjoy the stories within their local church.

The Society holds its AGM at the start of the November meeting, at which time the new committee is elected and the programme of events for the forthcoming year becomes available.

Membership is renewable on December 1st for the following calendar year, the annual subscription being agreed by members at the AGM. The current rate (2026) is £43 for individual membership and £86 for joint membership.

For up-to-date information on the year's activities and more information on our other activities please follow the links at the top of the page.