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Help make Hastings a musical mecca!

Your input is most definitely needed! Music Month kicks off next week with over 150 events to choose from: there’s a link at the bottom of this article to all the listings. If you’re  directly involved in music, operate a music venue and and/or you like to listen and watch performers across the musical spectrum of genres, there’s a cornucopia of events flooding the area in the next 4 weeks – and your input is needed to shape the future of the town as a musical mecca. Music City Steering Group member, Polly Gifford writes.

We’re blessed with a town of highly talented musical folk and generous audiences. Here’s our chance to celebrate and grow what the town offers.

Hastings & Rother Music City

The idea of ‘Hastings & Rother Music City’ will be launched as part of ‘UnConvention’ on Monday 27 February at The Palace on Hastings seafront with a session on ‘Music Cities and Music Tourism’ in the morning, followed by the launch at 1pm. For full details, check out the Fat Tuesday website.

Consultation sessions

There will be two general consultation sessions for anyone involved in the music sector and music economy. These will be a chance to have an open discussion of key issues we want to take forward to develop the music scene in Hastings and Rother, plus find out who wants to be on the Music Advisory Board for the future.

Consultation sessions:

De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, Thursday 9 March, 5-7pm
The Palace, Hastings, Monday 13 March, 5-7pm

Please RSVP for all three events to culture@hastings.gov.uk

Venues Review

There is also a Venues Review going on for Hastings & Bexhill. Contributions from venues and musicians are very important and appreciated. You can find out more from The Stinger, a local online music publication.

There is also a Venue Review online survey to complete. Deadline 17 February.

Music City Steering Group

The current members of the Music City Steering Group are Andy Gunton (The Stinger), Adam Daly (Fat Tuesday), Sally Lampitt (Battle Festival), Stewart Drew (De La Warr Pavilion), Sean Berkeley (St Mary in the Castle), Karen Trimmings (Hastings Pier), Paul Barnett (Chair, Cultural Leaders Group), Melanie Powell (Rother District Council), Polly Gifford & Michael Hambridge (Hastings Borough Council).

Link to listings for Music Month.

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