A new exhibition opens at Hastings Arts School this week.

Poor Women exhibition and workshop: art and regeneration come to Priory Meadow [show extended]

Hastings Art School and Hypha Studios offer an exhibition soon (23–27 February) at Priory Meadow shopping centre, and also a workshop on Sunday 25 February. Bernard McGinley reports.

2023 was a big year in Hastings because of the establishment of the Hastings Art School. Now the Art School is linking with Hypha Studios to put on a group show called Poor Women. This celebrates art from women who have experienced poverty and financial hardship, an unrepresented group in the mainstream art world. The exhibition amplifies the voices of working-class women artists on the programme at Hastings Art School. The works show a powerful range and depth of practice.

Hastings Art School is helmed by founder Julia Kotziamani, a veteran of Goldsmiths, University of London. A main offering is a flexible 30-week programme, accessibly priced, for artists at any stage of their career, who want to challenge and drive their practice in a critical, collaborative environment. The School is an accessible, affordable, flexible and unaccredited artistic development programme.

Poor Women is on from Friday 23–Tuesday 27 February
11 am–4 pm at Unit SU48C, Priory Meadow
PV (including performances): Saturday 24 February 2–4pm

Poor Women ‘Homemaking’ Collage Workshop

Also, there will be a ‘Homemaking’ Collage Workshop with ‘Cut. Stick. Create’. ‘Homemaking’ will be run by artist Sophie Malpas. Participants will be able to enjoy the creative process without the pressure, desire, or need to create something ‘perfect’. ‘Cut. Stick. Create.’ emphasises creative play. The workshop will be on Sunday 25 February, from 1 to 4 pm at the venue.

Tickets are £18 per person, from Eventbrite, including all materials and refreshments. In response to the Poor Women exhibition by Hastings Art School, this workshop will give participants the opportunity to ‘reclaim the pages’ of ‘luxury’ magazines.

Hypha Studios

Hypha Studios is a charity that matches creative people with empty spaces to regenerate the high street through the formation of cultural hubs with programming to engage local communities. Every placement includes a mentoring session for the selected artist and the creation of a public programme that directly engages with local communities. Organisations such as the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) and Arts Council England (ACE) have been involved with Hypha (and others) to develop a better understanding of how cultural and creative organisations can be embedded in high streets and drive their reinvigoration and reinvention.

The Creative High Streets report (2022) was one outcome, that noted:

High street cultural programming Hastings

As part of the High Street Heritage Action Zone programme led by Historic England, a consortium of creative organisations is leading a programme of cultural activities aimed at breathing new life into the town centre. The Cultural Programme features new digital and physical artworks inspired by the nation’s high streets as well as a podcast series inspired by them, recording local legends and working with local people to capture the everyday magic of high streets. Commissioned artists are also working with local communities on high streets across England to co-produce artworks that respond to and document the changing high street.

Individuals benefit from attending and participating in cultural programmes and activities, in ways such as engagement, discovery, contribution, concentration, learning, challenge, stimulation, aesthetic development and satisfaction.

More on the intersection of retail and creativity can be found here.

See also Jude Montague’s interview with Julia Kotziamani on Hastings Art School.

Also in: Visual Arts