Hopscotch’s free Art Space has 1,200+ visitors and a stay of execution, just in time for a ghostly Halloween
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Brighton, Hove & Sussex families are invited to get crafty with something spooky this week. Hopscotch Art Space, at 50A Gloucester Road, Brighton, will spend the week run-up to Halloween making masks, ghosts and all things ghoulish, completely free and with no booking needed.
The Art Space was due to close in November. But after welcoming more than 1,200 visitors in its first seven weeks, the independent Sussex nursery group, Hopscotch, has extended its opening until 20 December.
From today, 26 October, children and their grown-ups can drop in to make spooky crafts, with all materials and expert help provided. On Halloween itself, Saturday 31 October, the doors stay open until 5pm, two hours later than usual.
Philip Ford, Chief Executive of Hopscotch Children's Nurseries, said: “Families keep asking us, ‘What’s the catch?’ There isn’t one. We wanted to create a place in central Brighton where families can put their screens away, slow down and make something together, without having to pay.
“It’s been lovely to see friendships forming and families arranging to meet up again. We’re staying open until 5pm on Halloween so there’s more time to enjoy the crafting together, and we’re delighted to be keeping the Art Space open until the end of the year. We’re also looking at whether we can carry on into 2027, so watch this space!”
Opened in August by Brighton-based children's author and illustrator Nick Sharratt, the Art Space is designed with younger children in mind. There's drawing, painting, collage, or simply sitting quietly with a sketchbook, and it welcomes children up to 11 and their grown-ups to create side by side, without pressure or expectation.
The Art Space is open from 10am to 3pm every Wednesday to Sunday (until 5pm on 31 October) and is run by Art Space Host, Kate Hager. It accommodates approximately 15 adults and 15 children at any one time, with entrance offered on a first-come first-serve basis.