Arts Council England chief executive visits Hastings and Bexhill

Museums, galleries, and arts projects across Hastings and Bexhill were paid a visit by the chief executive of the Arts Council England this week.
Ken Bywater shows Darren Henley, the chief executive of the Arts Council England, the Izzard family rail layout at Bexhill Museum. Also pictured is museum curator Julian Porter. SUS-160524-125239001Ken Bywater shows Darren Henley, the chief executive of the Arts Council England, the Izzard family rail layout at Bexhill Museum. Also pictured is museum curator Julian Porter. SUS-160524-125239001
Ken Bywater shows Darren Henley, the chief executive of the Arts Council England, the Izzard family rail layout at Bexhill Museum. Also pictured is museum curator Julian Porter. SUS-160524-125239001

During Darren Henley’s whistle-stop tour on Monday (May 23), he visited Bexhill Museum, the De La Warr Pavilion, White Rock Theatre, Hastings Pier, Jerwood Gallery and Project Art Works, rounding off the day with a round table with the Cultural Leaders Group.

Mr Henley, who took over the role in April 2015, has made it his mission to visit as many arts projects across England as possible.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He told the Observer: “I spend more than half my working week outside London, meeting people who make great art and culture happen.”

He added: “For me, investing in art and culture is really important because it pays big dividends in people’s lives. There’s real benefits to people’s health and wellbeing and there are benefits to the economy, building up tourism and getting people to stay here. And there’s building the reputation of the place as well, so when people think, on a national and international level about Bexhill and Hastings, they think this is a place that is exciting and innovative.”

Mr Henley praised both Hastings and Rother councils for having ‘a real understanding’ about how culture ‘can change a place for the better’.

This is a big year for the area, with the forthcoming 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. The ROOT 1066 Festival, supported by ACE, will feature a host of events to mark this milestone, including a spectacular laser installation which will light up Hastings.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Henley said: “You think Hastings, you think 1066, so I think it’s great we have an artists’ interpretation of that.

“What I think is exciting is it’s rooted in historical events, but the way it’s been interpreted and the artists involvement are actually very forward-looking and innovative.”

ACE recently supported the Battle Festival and Streets of Battle. Although Mr Henley’s tour did not take him to rural Rother, he says continuing to support projects in rural areas is ‘really important’.

He said: “For us, a lot of focus can go on big cities and big towns, but it’s important we have great culture in rural communities. Across the country we invest in rural communities and it’s an important part of what we do and we want to do more of it.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Henley added: “I think there’s some fantastic art and culture and creative people here in Sussex. I think I’m always greedy for more of that. The great thing working with creative people is we do not know what they are going to come up with next.”

* Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage

2) Like our Facebook page

3) Follow us on Twitter

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

Always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.