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Coastal Catalyst is led by Future Creators and Talent Accelerator, with other consortium members including: University of Brighton, Department for Work & Pensions, East Sussex College, Arun District Council and The Royal Society of Arts.

The project will establish new Creativity Hubs in Arun, Eastbourne/Newhaven and Bexhill, plus a satellite hub in East Brighton, and create more opportunities for young people to work in the creative sector, such as new job roles, work experience placements and apprenticeships. Coastal Catalyst seeks to co-create a place-based response to systemic challenges by working with and within local communities.

Future Creators is Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival’s initiative to work collaboratively to develop the creative potential, skills and voice of children and young adults across Sussex. Their ambition is to prove to the world that collective action can nurture the creativity of children and has long term, positive and measurable effects. By understanding local, regional and national context, they work together to shape and co-develop work that responds to need and will make a difference.

Talent Accelerator is a De La Warr Pavilion programme that supports young people (aged 14 to 25) into creative careers in East Sussex and is the inspiration and cornerstone of the transformational Creativity, Community and Skills capital programme. Talent Accelerator aims to raise understanding of the range of jobs available in the creative industries, develop high quality work experiences, opportunities for skills development and expand what creative businesses and cultural organisations can offer young people. In the first two years (2022 – 2024) 6,468 young people have gone through elements of the Talent Accelerator.

Coastal Catalyst is a Place Partnership project, funded by the Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant scheme.

Peter Chivers, Director of Future Creators, part of Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, said:

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Talent Accelerator to lead this new programme. The creative industries offer huge opportunities for young people. Coastal Catalyst will unlock this by bringing together businesses, education partners and the creative sector to develop new pathways into employment in the sector. Young people are our future, and developing their creative skills will have long-term, positive and measurable benefits for the region.”

Stewart Drew, Director & CEO of the De La Warr Pavilion said: 

“Our commitment to developing the skills that young people need to follow a career in the creative industries is at the heart of our Community, Creativity and Skills capital project and the future of our region. We are delighted that our highly successful Talent Accelerator programme will collaborate with Future Creators to reach more young people to fulfil their individual potential whilst contributing to the economy of Sussex as a whole.”

We would like to extend our warmest thanks to our two holiday family workshop artists, Reem Acason and Nancy Odufona for designing and delivering a series of exciting creative workshops to children of all ages, families, and adults during the school holidays over the last year. Their efforts brought in over 700 visitors to the Pavilion, giving everyone the opportunity to get creative and express themselves through a range of artistic techniques.

We caught up with both Reem and Nancy to ask them about their experience and what their future plans are:

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What made this opportunity significant to you?

Reem: This has been a wonderful experience for me in numerous ways. The De la Warr Pavilion is a very special place, not only as an important cultural institution but also as the heart of community surrounding it. I have really enjoyed working in collaboration with Dee and Miguel in the Learning and Participation department and also Nancy Odufona, devising projects together but also learning about each others’ working practices. I feel that my understanding of the logistics, parameters and potential of delivering community projects has expanded immeasurably in my time working at DLWP.

Nancy: Working with another artist and sharing ideas for workshops was significant for me. It was nice to work as a team and collaborate closely with someone of colour.

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In what ways did the program enhance your skills and professional practice?

Reem: I have always enjoyed working collaboratively but this programme has given me further experience and confidence in designing, developing and delivering projects alongside other professionals. I now feel much more confident applying for opportunities with other organisations in the future.

Nancy: The program allowed me to develop my skills in working with larger groups and young people. With a background in teaching in higher education, this experience expanded my ability to work with young people from ages 3 to 12.

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How did consistently working with families differ from your usual practice?

Reem: I have delivered numerous workshops to groups of children and adults, but never to groups with mixed ages until now. This has been an overwhelming positive experience, watching the collaboration and cross pollination of ideas within families has been lovely to see.

Nancy: My experience has primarily been working with young people between 16-18. It was nice to see families come together and share skills. My mum used to take me to workshops when I was young, and this is where I became passionate about art and creativity, so it was wonderful to see groups of people enjoying themselves. The workshops are an opportunity for people and families to come together, learn, and have fun.

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What was the highlight of your year or your favourite moment from the workshops?

Reem: Witnessing families and people of all ages and backgrounds spending quality time together, creating playful, open ended and experimental artwork. It has been lovely seeing children, or individuals who would not normally visit galleries, feel completely relaxed and happy in that environment.

Nancy: It’s hard to pinpoint exactly, as it has been a wonderful opportunity. However, if I had to choose, I would say that feeling connected to the De La Warr team and supported throughout was a highlight. This support allowed me to build my confidence in working with larger groups and coming up with engaging workshop ideas. It was wonderful to receive amazing support from the Learning and Participation team, as well as the volunteers. I truly felt like part of a team.

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What was your most significant challenge, and what changes would you make?

Reem: The materials budget was a challenge and limited the types of artworks that participants could make. Most of the workshops we ran were craft based (cutting, sticking, gluing and colouring) but it would be great to expand this offering to other material processes. Having a larger budget would allow more freedom and ambition in outcomes.

Nancy: The most challenging thing for me was creating activities that were accessible for children. The first workshop I conducted involved making pom poms, which was really hard as it required tying knots and cutting wool with paper scissors. Despite the difficulty, it was rewarding because it enabled me to think about activities in a new way. I wanted to ensure that each activity would be accessible to all ages.

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What are your future plans and goals as an artist? 

Reem: I am currently half way through my MA Fine Art at Brighton University. I have recently formed a collective with two other artists and we have a group show in Bermondsey at the end of July. I am exhibiting in a group show in Germany next year. I am currently developing a new body of work including large installations which I am very much enjoying.  I plan to continue exhibiting work in group shows and plan to create a body of work which could form a solo show in the future, hopefully at a gallery like DLWP!

Nancy: I am currently in the process of moving to Liverpool, and I’m excited to connect with the creative community in the city.

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Once again, a huge thank you to Reem and Nancy for delivering such an incredible programme of holiday workshops, we wish you all the best for the future. Be sure to follow them both on Instagram to stay up-to-date with their latest projects!

Follow Reem on Instagram @reemacason
Follow Nancy on Instagram @nancyodufona

Last week, we welcomed several work-experience students from local schools and colleges to DLWP. During their time here, they gained hands-on experience in different departments. They worked with our staff in exhibitions, live programming, tech, finances, marketing and box office to learn about the roles and develop new skills.

At the end of the week, one of our work experience students interviewed the others about their time at the Pavilion. They all agreed that they enjoyed their time at DLWP, finding the opportunity useful. Find out what they had to say below.

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What have you enjoyed doing here?

Lily: All the work in the kitchen/shop area as I was able to engage with customers and people the most.

Kris: Everything.

Maple: Making the logo/poster and going to the flatland site.

Oriana: Learning new things such as light and sound tech.

 

Have you learned anything?

Lily: What happens behind the scenes of working at the De La Warr.

Kris: What goes on behind the scenes of an event.

Maple: How they set up and change the space for each exhibition.

 

Did you enjoy the week overall, why?

Lily: Yes as I have learned my new skills.

Kris: I enjoyed it as I did a variety of work.

Maple: Invigilator of an exhibition.

Oriana: Yes as I learnt so much new stuff.

 

Has this benefited you?

Lily: Yes, as I have learnt a lot of what goes on in the De La Warr.

Kris: Yeah, its taught me a lot about working here.

Maple: Yes, as I have seen what it’s like to have a job in an artistic place.

Oriana: Yeah.

 

Would you recommend this to someone?

Lily: Yes.

Kris: Yeah.

Maple: Yeah.

Oriana: If someone was interested.

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It was a pleasure to have them and we thank them for all their hard work!

To learn more about our upcoming work experience and opportunities head to Talent Accelerator 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for The Big Pavilion Painting Day on Sunday 12 May!

We had fun in the sun as over 100 participants gathered outside for some plein air painting on our South Terrace, everyone’s work looked fantastic! On the day, Artist facilitators Sam Ayre, Elizabeth Power and Miguel Martin selected five artists to feature on our blog to showcase their amazing work (pictured left to right):

1: Asher Cooksley
2: Caitlin Graham
3: Nicola Jones
4: Frances Hawkins
5: Tegan Wray

Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who came along and shared your creativity and passion with us. Your contributions made the day an unforgettable celebration of art and community.

Congratulations once again to our talented winners, and keep it up!

The De La Warr Pavilion and Bexhill Dementia Action Alliance is delighted to announce and award of £3,532 from the McLay Dementia Trust which will enable a programme of art and craft workshops, based around the exhibition programme, for people living with dementia and their carers.

The funding will support Reminiscence and Art – six workshops which will take place at the De La Warr Pavilion between May 2024 and September 2025.

The programme will begin on 24 May at 2pm, responding to Hastings based artist Laetitia Yhap’s exhibition An Ending to a Beginning. Yhap, who is in her early 80’s, is a unique voice within British art history and the exhibition features her earliest and final paintings of the fishing community at The Stade Beach, Hastings, from the mid-1970s until the mid-1990s.

The workshops will be facilitated by The Painted Ladies who have run many arts workshops for people living with dementia including at The Pavilion, Bexhill Museum and in care homes. In 2022 The Painted Ladies ran a successful workshop at DLWP in response Can’t You See the Sea Changing by Zineb Sedira (pictured), and more recently at Bexhill Museum celebrating their extensive historical hat collection. Art activities are carefully planned to be accessible for all taking part, and the workshops are also a fun, social space for connecting with others in the community.

Sally Ann Lycett, DLWP’s Director of External Relations, says:

We are delighted to be working with the BDAA and The Painted Ladies on this programme of events for people living with dementia. We know that dementia is a disease that effects over 2,400 of Rother residents and are keenly aware of how isolating it can be for those living with it and their carers. Thanks to the McLay Dementia Trust, DLWP is able to create a safe and stimulating creative environment in our building for people to connect and enjoy, continuing our commitment to providing dementia friendly events and our partnership with BDAA.

Sally Hemmings, Chair of BDAA says:

“We are extremely pleased to be working with the DLWP and the Painted Ladies again, to broaden the types of social activities available for people with dementia and their carers. Come and join us for a fun afternoon!”

Please email Sally on bdaa@gmail.com to book a workshop place. It is free to take part, first come first served, limited to 16 people.

The Painted Ladies will run a subsequent workshop on 30 September 2024 in connection with DLWP exhibitions of Hastings based artist Michelle Roberts, and international artist Mike Silva, responding to these artists’ very different approaches to painting and storytelling in their work. Full programme of workshops will be announced for 2025 as dates are confirmed.

In addition, the Bexhill Dementia Action Alliance will provide further training for all DLWP staff and the wider community to take part in to become Dementia Champions, understanding the needs of people living with dementia, and the small steps we can all take to ensure they can access local businesses and cultural venues. This will take place on Thursday 16 May. If you would like to take part in the training you can book a free place by emailing Jessica Cheetham to book a place – jessica.cheetham@dlwp.com.

Training will take place in the Studio at De La Warr Pavilion on Thursday 16 May from 10.15am.

Please email Bexhill Dementia Action Alliance to book a workshop place: bdaa@gmail.com

We are delighted to announce Harry Leek as the second recipient of the DLWP x Flatland Curatorial Fellowship.

Harry Leek is an arts worker with a specialism in artist support and studio practice. Harry is currently Residency Producer at Somerset House Studios, an experimental workspace for artists in the centre of London supporting up to 70 artists at any one time to develop new projects and collaborations, where he delivers the artist residencies and development programmes. Harry holds a BA in Fine Art from the University of the Arts London, and recently completed a Curatorial Ideation course at the Node Center for Curatorial Studies.

Coming from a less traditional academic background, Harry is interested in alternative curatorial models and approaches, and is curious about the systems in which art is produced, and how we may shift focus from final outcomes and bolster the processes around how work is made. Through his practice, Harry is keen to emphasise and explore the ways creative programmes can facilitate collective experiences and learning, while creating space to build meaningful peer-to-peer connections and relationships.

Past projects have included devising and delivering Somerset House Studios’ Community Building and Artist Development programmes, comprising talks, workshops, and skillsharing sessions, aiming to create a framework for artists to connect and develop ideas. Other projects include The Artists’ Fair – a recurring programme at Somerset House consisting of an artist-led market and talks series centred around artists lives, considering the peripherals of what defines artistic practice, how livelihoods and income streams intersect, and how artists fund and support their work.

The Curatorial Fellowship comes at a pivotal moment in Harry’s practice, bringing his work to a new context within the Bexhill area. During the 6-month fellowship, he plans to deepen his curatorial experience whilst connecting with local networks, initiatives, and artists.

Photo: Harry Leek by Nina Manandhar

Huge congratulations to Tschabalala Self whose work has been selected for the 2026 Fourth Plinth commission.

The artist says:

‘I am honoured that my work has been selected as the next Fourth Plinth commission, Lady in Blue will bring a woman to Trafalgar Square that many can relate to. She is not an idol to venerate or a historic figurehead to commemorate. She is a woman striding forward into our collective future with ambition and purpose. She is a Londoner, who represents the city’s spirit.’

Self’s sculpture pays homage to a contemporary woman, who could be one of many Londoners walking through Trafalgar Square. Made of bronze, she will reference the square’s existing monuments, but will be patinated with Lapis Lazuli, a refined blue pigment in use since antiquity.

Tschabalala Self’s ‘Seated‘ is currently displayed on the lawns outside the Pavilion.

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Read more about the announcement here:

BBC Article

Guardian Article

We’d like to extend our warmest thanks and gratitude to Steve Williams who retired from the De La Warr Charitable Trust in December 2023. Steve took over as Chair in 2008 and was instrumental in bringing stability to the organisation following the 2005 capital refurbishment, and in steering the operating model as we know it today. Crucially, working closely with Julian Bird (our current Chair), he encouraged a strong focus on community engagement, live music, comedy and family productions to complement the visual arts programmes. Following his retirement as chair in 2019, he served his remaining time on the Trust as Vice Chair.

Steve has a unique background in law and philanthropy. He aligned very much with the values of DLWP, bringing his experience the corporate and commercial sector to the cultural, civic and socially minded Charitable Trust.

Steve brought so much energy, extraordinary instinct and passion to the board, he will be very much missed. It was fitting to celebrate with him at a sold out performance of Dr John Cooper Clarke on Saturday night with his wife Sue.

Thank you Steve.

 

Julian Bird, Chair

Stewart Drew, Director and CEO.