Kim Byford, our Head of Skills, speaks on the impact of Future Ready placements at the De La Warr Pavilion.
We’ve loved welcoming Aydin and Ryan from Littlegate College on their Future Ready supported employment placements with us since October. Every Thursday for the last 10 weeks, they’ve worked across a range of departments at the De La Warr Pavilion, building real workplace skills, confidence, and experience in a truly open and inclusive environment.
Our skills programme has access at its heart – enabling all young people to explore different roles, develop transferable skills, and become genuinely work ready, whatever their starting point. Aydin and Ryan have grown hugely in confidence and capability, showing just how powerful the right support and a welcoming workplace can be.
Georgia (Work Coach): “It’s been such a joy working at the De La Warr and watching both Aydin and Ryan come out of their shells and collect new skills. What a wonderful, welcoming team you have here!”
We’re incredibly proud of Aydin and Ryan and grateful to our teams for making inclusion and skills development part of everyday working life.
If you’re considering how to support skills development, inclusion, and future talent, we’d strongly encourage you to explore a Future Ready placement. Opening your workplace can make a life-changing difference – for individuals and for your organisation too.
On its 90th Birthday – De La Warr Pavilion and Rother District Council awarded £7.6 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to complete the essential first phase of landmark restoration and transformation project.
Celebrating its 90th birthday on 12th December, The De La Warr Pavilion and partner Rother District Council are delighted to announce that the Pavilion has been awarded £7,646,425 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver Phase 1 of “An Icon for Everyone” a landmark £51.9 million masterplan project to restore and reimagine Britain’s first modernist multi-arts centre.
This transformational funding will enable the De La Warr Pavilion, working in partnership with Rother District Council, to begin urgent heritage conservation and capital works that safeguard the Grade I listed building and expand its role as a place for community, creativity and skills across the region and nationally.
The award marks a major milestone for the Pavilion’s 90th anniversary year and follows cornerstone significant investment from the UK Government and Rother District Council, alongside generous support from Arts Council England, East Sussex County Council, The Foyle Foundation, Suzy Eddie Izzard, The Chalk Cliff Trust and many private donors.
A new chapter for a ‘People’s Pavilion’
Commissioned in 1935 by the 9th Earl De La Warr and designed by pioneering architects Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff, the Pavilion was envisioned as a “People’s Palace” an embodiment of modernist ideals of innovation, equality and cultural access. Nearly a century later, it remains a beacon of creativity and social vision on the Bexhill seafront, welcoming more than 350,000 visitors each year.
However, after decades of exposure to the coastal environment, the Pavilion faces critical conservation challenges including roof leaks, corroding windows and ageing infrastructure that threaten both its fabric and its mission.
Designed by award-winning architects Haworth Tompkins with input from local people and delivered in partnership with RDC, Phase 1 of the masterplan will address these urgent heritage repairs while improving accessibility, creating new learning and community spaces, and embedding sustainability at every level.
Transforming heritage into opportunity
Building on significant investment from the UK government and additional support from Rother District Council this investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will unlock the Pavilion’s potential to serve as a regional driver for creativity, skills and regeneration by widening access to culture, generating local employment and strengthening Bexhill’s economy.
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:
“This project will conserve and celebrate this modernist jewel, connecting the community and visitors to the heritage of one of Britain’s most important modernist landmarks as it celebrates its 90th Birthday.
“It will improve accessibility to the building and provide opportunities for people of all ages to get involved in heritage, learn new creative skills and be part of the journey to bring this internationally significant building to life for generations to come.
“Thanks to National Lottery players our funding will support the first stage of the restoration of the De La Warr Pavillion. It will shine a light on its architectural and social history, securing its place as a vibrant creative hub to build pride in place and make sure heritage is cared for and sustained for everyone now and in the future.”
Stewart Drew, CEO and Director of the De La Warr Pavilion, said:
“This award is a transformational moment for the Pavilion and for Bexhill. The Pavilion has always been more than a building. It was created as a bold symbol of progress, a space where architecture, culture and community come together. This project is about protecting that vision, while transforming the Pavilion to meet the challenges of the future – from sustainability to social impact. Our aim is to secure the Pavilion’s place as an iconic cultural hub for the Southeast for the next 100 years. We are profoundly grateful to National Lottery players for making this possible.”
Doug Oliver, Leader of Rother District Council, said:
“The De La Warr Pavilion is at the heart of our cultural and civic identity. This ambitious project protects a nationally important modernist icon while creating new opportunities for our residents, transforming valued heritage into a place for skills, jobs, creativity, and wellbeing. Rother District Council is proud to stand alongside our partners in ensuring the Pavilion not only honours its remarkable heritage, but also drives progress, sustainability, and prosperity for future generations.”
About the project – Phase 1 key focus areas
• Heritage conservation – Repairing roofs, windows and building fabric to safeguard the Pavilion’s Grade I-listed architecture.
• Access and inclusion – Improving accessibility, circulation and facilities for visitors, artists and staff.
• Learning and community – Creating new spaces for creative learning, skills training and community engagement.
• Sustainability – Introducing low-carbon heating infrastructure, renewable energy systems and water efficiency measures to support Net Zero targets.
• Organisational resilience – Strengthening the Pavilion’s capacity to deliver world-class cultural and learning programmes sustainably.
• Creativity and activity – Working with communities and partners to deliver heritage focused creative programming locally.
Jay Carroll, Chair of Heart of Sidley, said:
“Heart of Sidley is thrilled to continue our partnership with the De La Warr Pavilion through this The National Lottery Heritage Fund support. The funding will help us bring creative and heritage focused opportunities directly to our community and ensure local voices play an important part in the future of the Pavilion.”
Next steps
Some advance works will begin in 2026; however, the De La Warr Pavilion will still present a full programme of exhibitions and events throughout the year. Details of a starting date for the main building works are still to be confirmed but DLWP intends to remain partially open throughout the construction period to engage visitors and support local businesses. The completion of extensive works in Phase 1 will pave the way for the full £51.9 million masterplan (DLWP is seeking further funding to complete phases 2 & 3), ensuring that the Pavilion can thrive as an international cultural landmark and community anchor for the next 100 years.
The De La Warr Pavilion is proud to announce the unveiling of a special logo to mark its 90th anniversary in 2025, created by internationally acclaimed designer Tom Geismar, celebrated for his pioneering work in the field of graphic design.
The commission has a special connection to the Pavilion’s history: Tom Geismar was creative partner of Ivan Chermayeff, the son of Serge Chermayeff, who, together with Erich Mendelsohn, designed the modernist De La Warr Pavilion in 1935. This link between past and present makes the new anniversary logo especially meaningful as the Pavilion approaches its centenary with plans for physical and organisational transformation underway.
Born in 1932, the same year the Pavilion competition was announced, Ivan Chermayeff later created the logo for its 80th anniversary. He passed away in 2017, but his work continues to inspire designers around the world. His long-time collaborator, Tom Geismar, also born in the 1930s and a pioneering force on Madison Avenue in the 1950s and ’60s, remains a remarkable presence in the design industry. Now 94, Tom is still practising in New York, a living testament to a lifetime of creativity, innovation, and dedication to his craft. Together they created identities for many high-level American cultural institutions; MOMA, The Smithsonian, National Geographic, NBC, The Library Congress and many more.
Geismar’s sleek and streamlined design captures the Pavilion’s modernist spirit while offering a fresh, contemporary emblem for its next chapter. The anniversary logo will feature prominently across the Pavilion’s celebratory programme and products.
“It was a pleasure to do this for the De La Warr Pavilion. The Chermayeff family have been so influential in my life and the pavilion in its physical manifestation reflects to me the bold, clear and creative design approach of Serge, Ivan and Peter. A remarkable family.”
– Tom Geismar, Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv
The unveiling of the logo marks the beginning of a year-long celebration that will bring together audiences, artists, and communities to reflect on and celebrate 90 years of innovation, architecture, and culture at the De La Warr Pavilion.
For more information about the Pavilion’s programme, visit What’s On.
For more information about Tom Geismar visit cghnyc.com.
At De La Warr Pavilion, we believe creativity belongs not just in our exhibitions and performances, but in our workplaces and communities. That’s why we launched Talent Accelerator, helping connect young people with the skills, opportunities, and confidence to build creative careers. Here Kim Byford, our Head of Skills, shares some of the ways we are doing this.
Photo by Matthew Harmer
Young Promoters saw local young people learn first-hand how to stage live events from booking artists and marketing shows to running them on the night. For one participant, it was a turning point showing them future possibilities.
“I never thought I’d be able to organise something like this. Being part of the Young Promoters gave me confidence and made me realise I want to work in music production.”
We’ve seen the impact of Artswork Breakthrough, which supports young people facing barriers to education or employment. Maddie joined us through this programme and has since blossomed into an emerging leader as our Creative Opportunities Producer (Skills).
Behind these individual journeys is a bigger picture.
DLWP sits on the Local Skills Improvement Board and Skills East Sussex, where we co-chair the Creative, Cultural, Digital, and Media Task Force. This means we can make sure the needs of the creative industries – and opportunities for young people – are front and centre in the skills agenda. We’re also proud to be an East Sussex Careers Hub Cornerstone Employer, working with schools to bring real-world career experiences into classrooms.
And we’re not stopping at county borders. Through Coastal Catalyst, we’re linking up with partners across Sussex to build a joined-up approach to skills, culture, and opportunity along the coast. For young people, that means clearer pathways into training and jobs; for communities, it means creativity is recognised as a driver of local pride and prosperity.
Rother District Council has unanimously granted planning permission and listed building consent for the De La Warr Pavilion Masterplan, launching this major capital project to transform heritage for community, creativity & skills.
The De La Warr Pavilion, one of the UK’s most celebrated modernist icons, has today received resolution from the Council’s planning committee for planning and listed building consent to be granted for a landmark capital project that will both preserve its iconic heritage and transform it for future generations. The formal decision notices are now awaited.
This milestone follows months of consultation and detailed planning, with the project designed to protect the Pavilion’s Grade I listed status while also unlocking new opportunities for culture, learning, and community use.
The Pavilion, which marks its 90th birthday in December 2025 now looks ahead to its centenary in 2035. The ‘People’s Pavilion’ was founded on radical modernist ideals of creativity, community and social progress and this new capital project will ensure that those founding principles remain at the heart of the building’s future.
Sir Anthony Gormley OBE, internationally renowned sculptor and honorary patron: “The De La Warr Pavilion is unique. The reborn Pavilion will enable a wider experience of art in all its forms for the residents of Bexhill and many from further afield. Here is a place where art and life come together for mutual inspiration – bravo!”
The capital project is being delivered in partnership with Rother District Council. Designed in phases, by award winning architect Haworth Tomkpins, the scheme ensures the Pavilion can remain partially open throughout the conservation works. The applications were co-ordinated by planning consultants, Lichfields and propose more than a restoration project: it is about people and communities, memory and creativity, welcome and belonging. It is about expanding access, education, and opportunity in an area where they are limited, while safeguarding the Pavilion’s cultural, social, and architectural heritage for future generations.
Haworth Tompkins Director Lucy Picardo said: “The approval of the planning and listed building consent applications marks an important step forward in the journey to secure the De La Warr Pavilion’s long-term future. We look forward to continuing our close work with Rother District Council, DLWP, and the wider community as the project progresses.”
The capital works will focus on:
Heritage conservation – safeguarding the Pavilion’s Grade I-listed architecture, enhancing accessibility, improving the visitor experience, and growing and sharing its archive and unique social history.
Community engagement – expanding opportunities for local residents to be part of the story through co-created programmes, creative activities, volunteering, and archiving/storytelling projects that celebrate the Pavilion’s role in local life.
Cultural leadership – reinforcing the Pavilion’s role as a leading multi-arts and cultural centre for the South East, delivering transformative creative, participatory, and social experiences that strengthen wellbeing, creativity, and community cohesion.
Sustainability – improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting Bexhill and Rother District Council’s Net Zero targets, through renewable energy and low-carbon heating improvements.
Driving regional growth – the Pavilion contributes significantly to the local economy, supporting jobs, tourism and skills development across Sussex, and the project will further strengthen its role in driving growth and opportunity across the Southeast.
Doug Oliver, Leader of Rother District Council: “The De La Warr Pavilion is a cornerstone of our cultural and civic identity. This ambitious project protects a nationally important modernist icon while creating new opportunities for our residents, transforming valued heritage into a place for skills, jobs, creativity, and wellbeing. Rother District Council is proud to stand alongside our partners in ensuring the Pavilion not only honours its remarkable heritage, but also drives progress, sustainability, and prosperity for future generations.”
The masterplan project has secured £17m from the UK Government as part of a partnership with Heart of Sidley to conserve the Pavilion and create a new community hub in Sidley delivering impactful cultural-led regeneration for Bexhill. Other funders have pledged support including Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund (development grant), East Sussex County Council, The Chalk Cliff Trust, Foyle Foundation and life-long supporter Suzy Eddie Izzard but there is still a significant fundraising target to complete the full scheme.
Stewart Drew, CEO and Artistic Director of the De La Warr Pavilion: “The Pavilion has always been more than a building. It was created as a bold symbol of progress, a space where architecture, art and community come together. This project is about protecting that vision, while transforming the Pavilion to meet the challenges of the future – from sustainability to social impact. Our aim is to secure the Pavilion’s place as an iconic cultural hub for the South East for the next 100 years.”
Project Art Works artist Michelle Roberts has been nominated for the Sky Visual Arts Award alongside artists Barbara Walker and Claudette Johnson. The Bexhill-based artist was nominated for the award by Bob & Roberta Smith, who selected her as the winner of the Outside In open call in 2023 which resulted in her solo exhibition, Red, Blue, Up, at the De La Warr Pavilion this past spring.
One of our most visited exhibitions in recent years, our Head of Exhibitions, Joseph Constable, said “The artist’s unique style has been an inspiration to the curatorial team in presenting this project in Bexhill, and to the many visitors who engaged with her joyous and intriguing artworks over the course of its run. Working together with Outside In and Project Art Works to bring Michelle’s works to new audiences is an important part of the Pavilion’s remit to offer a significant platform to emerging and underrepresented artists. In presenting such a wide breadth of Michelle’s work, we hope that this major exhibition will lead to further opportunities for audiences to experience her playful and experimental creative vision.”
On her nomination, Michelle said “I am very happy that lots of the public will be able to see my paintings in real life, and hope they enjoy them as much as I love creating them.”
Watch the Sky Arts Awards ceremony tonight at 9pm tonight (16 September) on Sky Arts, Freeview and streaming service NOW.
Last week, we were joined by two brilliant students, Francesca and Harris, from St Richard’s Catholic College for their work experience placement. Over five days, they explored life behind the scenes at the Pavilion – working across departments from the kitchen and exhibitions to front of house and tech. Here’s their personal account of what they got up to…
Hi, we are Francesca and Harris from St Richards Catholic College. This past week we have been doing our work experience at the De La Warr Pavilion. Each day we worked with two different departments. This gave us the opportunity to have an insight into what each department does and how different each one is to each other.
This is a coffee cake Francesca helped decorate while we worked alongside the Kitchen staff, along with rocky road cookies. Harris made quiche with the head Chef as well as making loaves of bread and making homemade mayonnaise.
Seen on the left is a picture of head chef Ryan and his junior sous-chef Izzy holding vegan raspberry and almond muffins which Francesca made with the help of Izzy.
These are pieces of fabric made by over 100 women from the Alto la Sierra and La Puntana Wichí communities lead by Claudia Alarcón, an indigenous artist from the La Puntana. She also leads the Silät collective which is made up of those 100 women.
We were then with the Front of House team, preparing for the Big Summer Sing the next evening. So we were preparing the drinks stand, buying biscuits for all the school teachers coming and moving tables on the stage.
This is the Auditorium of the De La Warr Pavilion which is where we worked with the Front of house team as well as the tech team.
Overall we have really enjoyed our experience here and learnt a lot. All the staff have been really nice and welcoming.
After four years at the De La Warr Pavilion, Joseph Constable will be stepping down from his role as Head of Exhibitions in the autumn to take up an exciting new role as Director of Kunsthall Stavanger in Norway.
Since starting at DLWP in 2021, Joseph has conceived and delivered diverse and ambitious exhibitions and public programmes that have had local, national, and international impact. Among his most notable projects are Hélio Oiticica, ‘Waiting for the Internal Sun’ – a rich and participatory insight into one of Brazil’s most seminal artists; Angelo Madsen: ‘A Crisis of Human Contact’ – a multi-disciplinary commission reflecting on trans intimacies and structures of kinship; Laetitia Yhap: ‘An Ending to a Beginning’, which highlighted the unique voice of this Hastings-based artist, and Barbara Kasten: ‘Site Lines’, a site-specific response to the Pavilion’s unique architecture that engaged visitors throughout the summer months. In 2023, Joseph brought Tschabalala Self’s monumental sculpture, ‘Seated’ to the Pavilion, which continues to sit proudly on our Lawns, looking out to the sea.
This is just a small selection of the 20+ projects that Joseph has curated during his time at the Pavilion, while leading the Exhibitions team, making key fundraising, strategy, and business planning contributions, and fostering relationships with our audiences, supporters, and community partners. Notably, Joseph has supported the development of Beeching Road Studios as part of its Steering Group and has collaborated with Flatland Projects on the initiation of a new Curatorial Fellowship programme, which is now in its third iteration, and through the Studio Development Programme for emerging artists.
‘Joseph has made a real impact on our visual arts programme, developing strong and meaningful relationships with artists, creating opportunities for new and emerging work to be exhibited, and curating engaging experiences for audiences. He has also been thoughtful and collaborative in working alongside our brilliant community partners. He will be missed here in Bexhill.’
Stewart Drew, Director and CEO of the De La Warr Pavilion
Joseph’s last project at DLWP will be the first European survey exhibition of the visionary artist and gallerist, Betty Parsons, opening 4 October 2025, before taking up his new role in January 2026.
De La Warr Pavilion and Rother District Council are delighted to reveal their masterplan to conserve and enhance the iconic Grade 1 listed building over the next decade.
Based on twenty years of operations in its current model, and ninety years since opening in 1935, the emerging plans seek to address pressing conservation and refurbishment issues, widen engagement across the town, district and region, and streamline operations to increase organisational business viability and economic impact regionally.
The unrealised original ambitions for the site and subsequent limited investment in the fabric of the building over the decades is a constant challenge for the Pavilion in its seaside location. The 2005 John McAslan scheme was a highly ambitious and successful project, which has since welcomed over seven million people through the doors, however the original fabric investment of c.£20m was highly cost engineered and eventually delivered for just £8m.
This thoughtful and ambitious masterplan scheme developed by a design team led by architects Haworth Tompkins, gives us a roadmap to complete works through the site, addressing practical challenges that include:
Increased welcome and access for artists and visitors.
Care of the Grade 1 Listed Building.
An auditorium that missed out on investment in 2005 and is in need of urgent attention.
Refurbished gallery spaces.
Re-aligned learning and event spaces, that connect the community with the building, landscape and sea.
Commercial operations that allow the organisation to grow, and to support the longer-term conservation of the building.
Efficient systems that move us towards net zero.
The Levelling Up government funded project, also supported by a Heritage Fund development grant, seeks to create an environment where the organisation can have increased impact on the communities it serves, bringing international artists and performers to the region, but also reaching out to co-develop creative and skills programmes such as Coastal Catalyst, Talent Accelerator and Creative Sidley. Our project also works closely with Heart of Sidley to support their new Community Hub.
The masterplan will be delivered through a series of phased works, starting with the auditorium and foyers, with further phases delivered in line with fundraising activity.
A public consultation on the emerging plans is taking place in the Rooftop Foyer at the De La Warr Pavilion between 2 and 6 April 2025 where feedback can be shared via questionnaires during your visit.
This ambitious project needs your support to become a reality. To be part of our story and support our ambitious plans please speak to Jessica Cheetham on 01424 229 102 or jessica.cheetham@dlwp.com.
Here at De La Warr Pavilion, we are always keen to offer a variety of work experience opportunities for people interested in creative careers. Recently, we were able to support almost twenty students from East Sussex College Group (ESCG) Hastings for a work experience week set around a research project.
During their week with us, the ESCG students were set a brief by our fundraising and comms teams to research, develop, and create a marketing strategy for a brand-new youth membership that we are hoping to launch in 2025. This was an extremely broad taste of what arts admin roles can look like, giving the students an opportunity to work with the comms team and learn about marketing techniques, as well as researching and evaluating similar youth memberships for their effectiveness.
Students were able to decide which type of role they preferred after the first day and choose whether they wanted to continue the rest of the week in the membership research team or the marketing team. This allowed them to make work-based decisions around the types of job roles they were interested in and select the team that would give them the best knowledge for their future careers.
Whilst the membership research team explored various youth memberships across the UK, with a focus on creative and cultural organisations, the marketing team got to work creating posters, social media campaigns, and coming up with branding ideas such as logos and names. The marketing team decided to create hand-crafted marketing materials, preferring the analogue method of marketing and the personal touch this can add to a companies branding. Meanwhile, the research team started planning a launch event and considering what types of workshops, discounts, events, and benefits would make young people want to sign up for the free membership.
After a week of research and content creation, the students were asked to present their findings and ideas back to the group. This presentation happened in front of their peers, as well as members of the De La Warr Pavilion team from the comms and fundraising teams, allowing for post-presentation discussions and in-depth feedback.
The students learnt a range of new skills during their work experience placement with us. They left with a better understanding of behind-the-scenes careers in an arts organisation, as well as a new-found knowledge of themselves and the types of roles they might see themselves working in the future.
We will be hosting a number of work experiences in the coming months, from helping the exhibitions team with the install of our upcoming exhibits and a chance to get behind-the-scenes with our tech team, right through to an experience of what it’s like working in live programming.
To see any work experience opportunities that are still available for sign ups, please check the Talent Accelerator page. Sign up to the Talent Accelerator newsletter to be the first to hear about these opportunities or contact the team on talentacc@dlwp.com if you have a specific work experience request.
