Painted Pianos
Between 26 February and 7 March, three ‘Painted Pianos’ will be on display in Hastings and St Leonards.
The project forms one of the community initiatives which complement this year’s Hastings International Piano Competition. Three local community groups will work with artists and members of their communities to transform three upright pianos into vibrant, playable artworks that will be placed in public spaces during the competition.
Marta Munoz and Bart Long will work with Arts on Prescription, the local wellbeing charity that supports people struggling with mental health issues. The finished piano will be displayed at Tesco Extra in St Leonards.
Sophie Malpas will work with service users at Seaview Project, the St Leonards-based wellbeing centre which offers practical help, advice, and support to those who are marginalised and most at risk. Their painted piano will be displayed at Hastings Station.
The third piano will be painted by Mark, one of the artists based at the Turner-shortlisted Project Art Works, an artist collective working with neurodiverse people with complex needs. It will be displayed at The Source Park.
Rosa Amor, Hastings International Piano’s Learning & Development Co-ordinator, is the brains behind the project. She says: “Working on a creative project like this will enable participants from three different community groups to access their own creativity in new and unexpected ways, collaborating with professional artists to create beautiful artwork that we can all enjoy.”
Painted Pianos has been made possible by a donation from an anonymous donor and funds raised by competition organisers during last year’s Big Give fundraising drive.
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