Eastbourne cultural project reveals wide-ranging impact for artists and young people

The project, the first of its kind funded by Arts Council England, encompassed a wide-ranging programme, including the reanimation of underused spaces through public art, dance and music events as well as school visits to Towner Eastbourne, community events, screenings, commissions and exhibitions.

Key findings from the project can be revealed and the ‘effect’ of the wide ranging programme that took place.

During the time of Eastbourne ALIVE:

• £16,1m overall value added to Eastbourne economy

• Over 385 events, exhibitions, performances and workshops took place between June 2023 and April 2024

• An estimated nearly 200,000 visitors came to Eastbourne as a result of the Turner Prize and Eastbourne ALIVE

• More than 20 high profile public arts commissions from international names from Helen Cammock to Michael Rakowitz were placed across the town on the seafront, outside Towner Eastbourne, on Eastbourne Pier and in community spaces and cafes - and explore the notion of a modern-day monument. These works were viewed by over 12,500,000 people, either in person or online

• A total of over 20,000 hours of art engagement opportunities were made available for young people and the wider community

• Over 300 artists locally, nationally and internationally took part, with further creatives involved in making the work, supported by nearly 100 volunteers

• Over 100 work and volunteering placements were provided for young people in Sussex

• 130+ Eastbourne businesses took part in Eastbourne ALIVE, including dressing their shops and buildings in a colourful brand during the Turner Prize

• 260,000 plus audience members and 500 participants took part in events

• Surveyed audience members called Eastbourne ALIVE “creative, colourful and surprising”

Sarah Dance, project director, Eastbourne ALIVE, said, “An enormous thank you to the thousands of people who we collaborated with to drive this project to fruition during the Turner Prize period.

“We are proud of all that has been achieved over the last few months.

“From international artists showing work in unique places across the town, to the hundreds of young people who visited the gallery, did work experience or took part in our ‘manifesto moment’ at the town hall, it was a once in a lifetime moment and opportunity for us all.”

“I am also delighted to reveal the economic impact shared between Turner Prize and Eastbourne ALIVE - we delivered an additional economic benefit to Eastbourne of hosting Turner Prize of £16.1m.

“This means a return on investment (ROI) for the project as a whole of 19.3, highlighting that for every £1 spent on hosting Turner Prize 2023, a return of £19.30 was generated for Eastbourne”

“We also wanted to ensure that there were those serendipitous encounters with art for local people who may not consider going into a gallery but then who may make it part of their life in the future.”

Joe Hill, director, Towner Eastbourne, said: “We are delighted to share these fantastic numbers of local community members, young people, and artists who were part of and benefitted from Eastbourne ALIVE and the incredible impact this project has had culturally, economically and socially.

“This level of ambition and collaboration within the country is unprecedented and we look forward to continuing this important strand of our work at Towner Eastbourne”

Fourteen school visits took place for the duration of the Turner Prize exhibition, the Towner Eastbourne opened the gallery on Mondays solely for Year 9s from local schools, as well as home-educated, college, and SEN students in Eastbourne and surrounding areas.

As well as a chance to see the Turner Prize Exhibition, the visits included a creative careers presentation, interaction with volunteers from the University of Sussex, and a ‘Give It Some Oomph!’ resource pack.

Working with young people, local cultural organisations, East Sussex Public Health, local businesses, and the community, Eastbourne ALIVE also delivered a wide range of projects such as public art installations, animating disused shops, teachers training workshops, wellbeing research, a wide-reaching work experience programme and more.

Meanwhile, a group of East Sussex College Art & Design and Media students were supported to develop personal manifestos and plan an ‘intervention moment’ at Towner Eastbourne.

As a result of both this work and workshop at the town hall hosted by the council leader and Councillor Jenny Williams, a motion was debated and unanimously voted on at a Full Council meeting committing Eastbourne Borough Council to embed ‘Youth Voice’ in all their decision-making.

Talent Accelerator also coordinated creative sector work experience and volunteering placements across the town, overseen by paid young supervisors.

Tourism was also a major part of Eastbourne ALIVE’s ambitions. Towner and Eastbourne ALIVE worked with Sussex Modern to deliver a highly successful campaign to drive visitors to Eastbourne and wider East Sussex. An estimated nearly 200,000 visitors came to Eastbourne as a result of the Turner Prize and Eastbourne ALIVE

Eastbourne ALIVE was from the beginning a programme that linked explicitly to the creative health agenda and sought to understand the positive impacts of creativity on individual or community wellbeing.

Eastbourne ALIVE worked with East Sussex Public Health, Shared Intelligence and Common Futures to measure the impacts on Young People's emotional wellbeing and mental health through the projects.

The final results will be included in the East Sussex Public Health report, and presented at the 2024 Annual South East Public Health Conference.

It was found that Eastbourne ALIVE was very effective in ensuring through targeted engagement works that participants were from diverse and inclusive backgrounds and from communities impacted by Health Inequalities and unequal access to creative opportunities and environments.

Participants were also clear that they enjoyed their experience of Eastbourne ALIVE and that it positively affected their views about Eastbourne.

One 17-year-old participant remarked: "Participating changed my assumptions about Eastbourne - before I would come here to shop but I did not see it as a place that would have arts stuff - I didn’t know about Towner Eastbourne… If there were more arts things more people would come and this would be better for the economy.”