Hastings Contemporary Reaches Out
SIMON HOBSON
Hastings Contemporary’s pop-up exhibition from The Cove, the specialist facility for SEND students at The St Leonards Academy, is over, but its spirit remains. The gallery is bustling on a Tuesday, a day normally closed to the public. I spy a technician patiently explaining to an eager group of schoolchildren how to hang their work; they are not only producing the work, but are involved in its presentation and curatorial decisions. Hastings Contemporary’s outreach programme rolls out under the benevolent eye of the Learning Coordinator, Louisa O’Shaughnessy assisted by gallery learning volunteers and school staff. Louisa, the beating heart of this programme, explains: “The opportunity to create a nurturing environment for self-expression and confound expectations brings me deep joy, when teenage boys picking flowers and enjoying hand-embroidery bring confident smiles, as an undiscovered skill blossoms.”
Measuring up for the exhibition
I jostle for space while the children hang their work, which includes a soundscape, photography, sketchbooks, collage, and a banner. Quality and imagination gradually come together. The atmosphere is joyous, creative, collaborative and a little chaotic. The programme provides invaluable benefits for individuals with special educational needs, including enhanced communication, self-expression, motor skills and cognitive development. Social skills are carefully nurtured, self-esteem boosted, stress and anxiety reduced. One parent said “The Cove is absolutely vital to my son’s wellbeing. It has been key to him attending school, connecting with others and feeling a sense of pride.”
These vibrant yearly outreach programmes, which can reach up to 470 local primary school students, and which always result in a stunning showcase of creativity, are an important and ongoing part of Hastings Contemporary’s work and philosophy. The programmes are ever more ambitious, expanding to include performance and video installation. The new mobile studio (which sits proudly next to the gallery on the Stade) can be taken to schools, and the gallery’s work can be expanded in new and exciting directions where the possibilities are endless and new ideas are constantly explored. The students in these outreach programmes will certainly benefit.
These outreach programmes need funding. If you are interested in supporting Hastings Contemporary’s learning programme,
please contact Leah Swain, Head
of Development at [email protected]
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