National Apprenticeship Week 2024: Alex’s Story ( Creative Industries Production Technician Apprentice)

It’s National Apprenticeship week and we are celebrating the value and opportunities they provide for young people breaking into the creative industries. We spoke to one of our apprentices, Alex, who is currently at the De La Warr completing his Creative Industries Production Technician apprenticeship. Having started in October 2023, Alex has been learning on the job, gaining new skills and confidence with support from his team. He finds his role exciting and would recommend it to others who may be interested. ‘No day is the same, daily tasks are varied depending on the gigs and the possibilities after completing the apprenticeship are vast. You can go into so many different environments from working on cruises to being a touring technician.’

Alex will be joined on his apprenticeship training here at DLWP with apprentices from The Dome Brighton and Eastbourne Theatres. All training is delivered by East Sussex College Group in the DLWP auditorium under the guidance of our Technical Manager Mat McQuade.

It’s not too late to join! If you are a venue looking to extend your technical team adding an apprentice is an excellent way to grow your own! Get in touch with Kim Byford Project Director Talent Accelerator for more information kim.byford@dlwp.com

Celebrate the Next Generation of Jazz at DLWP

DLWP Fundraiser Dan Scales previews the National Youth Jazz Orchestra from a unique perspective:

It is as exciting for the Pavilion’s staff to hear about upcoming performances as it is for our community. From big names to emerging artists, from music to comedy, we all get the same buzz when an artist we love gets announced.

This week, the news of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) visiting DLWP as part of their forthcoming tour, celebrating the music of Amy Winehouse, piqued my interest for a slightly more unusual reason…

Growing up in Norwich, I played trombone in the Norfolk Student’s Jazz Orchestra – a group of the most talented young jazz musicians from across the county. A highlight of my time in the Jazz Orchestra were visits from NYJO, with whom we held joint workshops, sessions and, of course, watched perform at Norwich’s leading venues.

NYJO has been a hot bed of jazz and big band talent for over 55 years. Alumni include Guy Barker, Laura Jurd, Mark Nightingale, the leader of the Strictly Come Dancing band Dave Arch (plus most of his band), London 2012’s

Many of my peers in the Norfolk Student’s Jazz Orchestra went on to study music to degree level and beyond, gracing stages up and down the UK. Never that talented myself, I took a different path – studying history before moving into Fundraising, eventually returning to the arts and music in my current role at the Pavilion.

DLWP is far more than just a venue. We engage over 6,000 people each year through our learning and participation activities, enabling children, young people, and adults to engage in the arts, developing creative and personal skills in the process.

NYJO is more than just an orchestra. NYJO runs a comprehensive national education programme. This spreads the ‘Jazz message’ to around 20,000 young people annually. I was fortunate enough to benefit from these fantastic workshops years ago, and am delighted that NYJO continues this work to this day.

So, come and celebrate the best young jazz musicians in the UK on Thursday 7 October 2021. Speaking from experience, it’ll be worth it…

Book tickets here!

#peopleofthepavilion

Dan Scales as a primary school student & budding musician

The People’s Pavilion – how I played my part

What have people been doing at the Pavilion since it opened in 1935? Since October, I have been volunteering with the exhibitions teamto find out for the upcoming exhibition, The Peoples Pavilion: Our First 80 years. From games on the roof and debates on education cuts to an audience with Quentin Crisp and a bus balanced on the roof, the stories we’ve uncovered have given us an unique insight into the use of the building and reflect what was happening at the time locally and nationally.

A great deal of our research has been carried out at Bexhill Museum, where curator Julian Porter has given us access to the Bexhill Observer archive, patiently handing us volume after volume of this important social history document. Starting with the 1935 edition we have travelled through the decades visiting 80 years of social, political and cultural history, tracing the fortunes of the Pavilion and the role it has played in people’s lives.

I’ve also been part of the volunteer team collecting stories, objects and images from the public, some of this material will be included in the exhibition and all of it, we hope, will form part of a digital archive for the future. What has surprised me most is how moving it’s been to hear people’s personal accounts – the moment a couple first met at a dance; how the pantomime cow at Jack and the Beanstalk terrified a young boy at his first panto; what happened when the pressure group was formed to save the Pavilion from oblivion.

Much attention has been focused on the architecture of the building and rightly so. However, what our research has shown is that it is the people who shape a building; what it is today and what it will be in the future. Our research is ongoing and we really hope that people will continue to share their stories when they visit the exhibition in June.

Post written by Sandy Jones

To find out more about the exhibition The People’s Pavilion: our first 80 years visit: the exhibition page here

 

 

De La Warr Pavilion celebrates 80 years of being The People’s Palace – in style!

Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary
Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary

Over 4000 visitors came to celebrate 80 years of the De La Warr Pavilion on Saturday 12 December 2015. Living up to its name The People’s Palace, the foyers, balconies, café bar and staircases were thronging with people – many of whom dressed in glamorous 1930s style.

The Retro Swing Quartet entertained the crowds under the South Staircase with tunes of the era and the glittering girls from Debonnaire Entertainment danced the rumba – the dance craze of 1935. Later on in the day we were treated to a performance by ESSPA students, the youngest of whom re-created the famous Ovaltinies advert. Visitors were fascinated by the 1934 original model of the Pavilion, borrowed from Bexhill Museum as well as some of the original plans, drawings and a poster for the opening concert on the walls. In the Auditorium Foyer we screened two of the most popular films of 1935 – The 39 Steps and Top Hat -and at midday Pavilion expert Julian Porter gave one of his informative and engaging behind the scenes tours.

Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary
Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary
Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary
Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary

On the first floor in the north staircase we displayed our “cake” made with local groups in workshops led by artist Beccy McCray, whilst outside Gallery 2, the Bexhill Classic Cycle Club displayed their beautiful bicycles. You could sample 1930s inspired cocktails from our cocktail bar such as The Mary Pickford and The Sidecar as well as Pavilion35, the new beer especially created for us by Franklin’s Brewery and which we are now selling as draft behind the bar. Our 1930s menu included liver and bacon –enjoyed by Danny Pike of BBC Radio Sussex broadcasting live on the day – fish pie and corned beef sandwiches. Lunch was accompanied by the London String Quartet playing the popular music of the time.

On the rooftop foyer, families were treated to Geoff Felix’s Punch and Judy, as well as a display of tin plate toys from Bexhill Museum (which runs until 31 January). Legend Photography were also taking glamorous shots of people dressed in costume on the balcony.

 

151212_DLWP80-2
Photo by Simon Newbury

 

Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary
Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary

Outside we created a Concourse d’Elegance of vintage cars courtesy Bexhill 100.

As on December 12 1935 speeches were made at 3pm. The Mayor of Bexhill, Cllr Watson, read out some of the original speeches that were made 80 years ago and Stewart Drew, Director of the Pavilion thanked everyone for coming and listed some of the amazing artists and performers that have exhibited and performed here. But the real stars of the show were Honorary Patron Eddie Izzard and his father John who, as a boy, took part in the opening in 1935.  Their speeches of reminiscence  fo the past and support for the future of the Pavilion were greeted with loud cheers from the crowds.

Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary
Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary
Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary
Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary

At 5pm the doors opened to a magnificent Tea Dance by the Ragroof Players and Michael Law’s Piccadilly Dance Orchestra. Over 200 people tripped the Light Fantastic to tunes from the first half of the 20th Century.

Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary
Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary
Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary
Photos by Sin Bozkurt© for De La Warr Pavilion 80th Anniversary

The building itself looked spectacular with its new branding prominent in all displays. And hats off to La Collina Gardens for their classic and beautiful displays of flowers and greenery throughout the whole Pavilion.

12 December 2015 was a truly memorable day in the story of the De La Warr Pavilion.

If you have any images of the event you would like to send us, please email mydlwp@dlwp.com

 

De La Warr Pavilion commissions new brand for the future

DLWP-logo-animation-LR

On the occasion of its 80th anniversary the Modernist cultural icon De La Warr Pavilion (DLWP) at Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex has commissioned a new brand identity.

The new branding which will be rolled out during 2016 aims to reconnect the Pavilion with its roots as a democratic Modernist space for people to experience contemporary art, culture and entertainment. It also positions the Pavilion as an internationally recognised venue for contemporary arts. Over the coming months DLWP will be updating its website, publicity and communications to be more accessible and effective in reaching its diverse audiences.

At the centre of the new brand identity is an open circle, a roundel , which derives from the original signing on the building and circular features within the architecture. Combined  with anew typography and the reintroduction of the original colour palette, the new logo type and roundel will be a unifying mark on all communications support by a new strapline “Est. 1935. Modern ever since”

The new brand was conceived and designed by Playne Design, headed by Clare Playne, working in conjunction with consultant Jim Northover. Playne Design has been retained by DLWP on an on-going basis to assist with design and implementation, which will be carried out on a cost-effective replacement basis.

DLWP Business cards 02-LR

To celebrate the 80th year anniversary itself a special mark was designed by renowned American designer Ivan Chermayeff (whose architect father, Serge, co-designed the Pavilion with Erich Mendelsohn). The new brand takes its inspiration in part from Ivan Chermayeff’s anniversary design.

Stewart Drew, Director and Chief Executive, De La Warr Pavilion comments:
“We have thought long and hard about making a brand change that helps takes us in the direction we want to go. It is a strategic move for us which both looks forward and helps us stays grounded in the innovative thinking that made the Pavilion possible 80 years ago.”

Clare Playne, Creative Director of Playne Design remarks:
“We are delighted to be working alongside the DLWP team to deliver a new brand for them and their audiences. It’s been a privilege to take such a historically important step for one of the UK’s best-loved Modernist arts centres.”

DLWP T-shirts

For more information contact:
Sally Ann Lycett, Director of External Relations, De La Warr Pavilion
01424 229 137 sally.ann.lycett@dlwp.com

May 6 1935 – The laying of the foundation plaque

De La Warr Pavilion, laying of foundation stone, 1935Today, 6 May sees the 80th anniversary of the laying of the foundation plaque of the De La Warr Pavilion by Earl De La Warr in 1935.  The speech he made that day remains an inspiration for all of us who work here.

De La Warr Plaque

He said:

“How better could we dedicate ourselves today than by gathering around this new venture of ours, a venture which is going to lead to the growth, prosperity and greater culture of this our town”

DLWP Director Stewart Drew says “The Pavilion team are proud to continue Earl De La Warr’s vision and will shortly announce exhibitions and events that will mark this significant anniversary.”

Find out more about DLWP

www.dlwp.com/about-us

www.dlwp.com/about-us/history

De La Warr, 1935