Eastbourne, thank you for your support

We have been heartened and uplifted by the many warm wishes you have sent since we had to close the Towner art gallery.

Your response has been incredible and we thank you so much for all your messages of support and ideas for staying in touch.

It’s wonderful for our team to hear how important Towner Eastbourne is to you and we know how much you are going to miss being able to visit the galleries or just pop in for coffee.

We are so sorry not to be able to offer our usual programme of exhibitions, cinema and learning activities, or the café, library and sensory space which are such important meeting places for so many.

Obviously, these times are unprecedented and keeping safe and well is paramount.

We are pulling out the stops to provide some cultural inspiration digitally while we’re all at home and working through these difficult circumstances. Watch out for Towner Looks – close-up picks from our curators of lesser known collection works – as well as suggested reads and films in Towner Reads and Towner Watches.

We will also work with artists to ensure opportunities to engage with the Towner continue.

Keep visiting our website or follow us on our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook channels for more information.

Many of you already support us, helping us stage amazing exhibitions such as David Nash’s 200 Seasons, Draw Me In children and young people’s exhibition, and Alan Davie and David Hockney Early Works.

Supporters also help us provide activities for children as well as innovative projects such as providing art therapy in school for the first time for vulnerable young children.

For those of you who haven’t supported the gallery before, we would really welcome your help.

The pandemic is already having a huge impact on artists and the whole cultural sector, and it will without doubt jeopardise our ability to fundraise for more great projects like the ones above.

If you feel able to help us, please make a gift.

We would really appreciate your support during this extremely difficult period.

Thank you for considering supporting the Towner.

We hope that you will enjoy some of our digital programme as it comes on stream.

Do let us know what you think.