New colourful mural appears on empty Hastings Owens 'fun factory' building
A new colourful mural has appeared in Hastings town centre.
The artwork, which is designed to represent Hastings, is the work of artist Master Skosh and Stanley Cush.
The mural has been pained over the wooden boards that have been placed across the front of the former Debenhams building in Robertson Street, which housed the short-lived Owens ‘fun factory’ arcade.
Master, 35, said: “We are just happy to brighten the building up while it’s empty.
“The mural will be finished over the next couple of weeks and it will remain there until the building is used again.”
He said he and Stanley are creating the mural in collaboration with the St Leonards-based charity, Curious Agenda.
Master said: “The green face represents Jack in the Green but I painted it as a female, as a Mother Earth sort of representation.
“The lifeboat featured in the mural is a nod to the RNLI, with the amazing work they do saving lives at sea.
“The mural is a nature-themed one, with a landscape of Hastings with lots of greenery.”
The pair are also working on a separate piece of street art adjacent to the main mural, called Hastings is Music, which they said will ‘celebrate’ all the musicians associated with Hastings.
Owens opened at the former Debenhams building in October 2022, with the aim of creating 35 new jobs.
However, in September 2023 Owens put out a statement saying the attraction was closing ‘due to unforeseen circumstances’. And at the end of November that year, Owens said the venue was expected to remain shut for ‘up to a year’.
In September 2024, wooden boards were placed all across the rear and front of Owens.