Badger gives young creatives freedom to explore their passions and ideas whilst supported by an experienced music industry network. It champions emerging talent, represents authentic scenes, and empowers the next generation of music, media and creative leaders.

With free venue hire and PA support, they also offer tailored workshops in tech, marketing, event management, songwriting and artist development – lowering barriers of entry and empowering young people to develop and deliver their skills and ideas.

Founder Kate Jaggers shares her vision for the community: “The concept of Badger was to provide a home for underrepresented scenes and young creatives in Hastings. The underground vibes and existing youth social-change attributes of The Source Park made this a natural fit. Whilst Hastings provides many cultural opportunities for creatives, a dedicated 16–24-year-old outlet for the ideas of young music creatives didn’t exist.”

She explains, “We’re home to regular nights curated by young people but open for all ages to attend – including UK rap, world and electronic music. We aim to be the talent incubator for the wider local music industry; young creatives flourish when heard and supported – feeding music venues on the south coast and beyond. Increasingly young creatives can’t afford to live in cities so we need to connect the talent that exists outside major cities to a new regional music industry network that offers stability and long-term careers in music.”

As Badger marks its first anniversary at The Source Park, it can look back at an exceptional year. Regular nights include Artist Showcase, a bi-monthly ‘mini- Great Escape’ style evening that showcases emerging talent and EMOM, an open-mic format for electronic music producers and DJs. There are also regular rock, indie and dub nights from local promoter duo Bring Your Nan and delights from further afield via a partnership with the Eastbourne Music Collective.

Badger is becoming a trusted voice for young people – a place where talent grows and industry partners come to discover what’s next. It also runs a youth music conference, ACTIVE 8, a two-day event that returns this autumn with free workshops from major youth music organisations. Last year’s contributors included the BBC, Reprezent Radio and Live Nation and speakers such as the head of artist welfare from Dua Lipa’s world tour and Radio 1 presenters.

Building on their success, Badger recently launched their Advanced Promoter Programme: a three-month, Arts Council England-funded scheme designed to accelerate the ideas and careers of established local promoters. The culmination of this programme is four free outdoor terrace events (5–10pm) at the De La Warr Pavilion, spanning electronic, indie, rock, UK rap, and world music – celebrating underrepresented subcultures across the South Coast.

Badger can have a lifelong impact on its participants; assistant venue manager Jazz explains that she discovered the Badger music community during an extremely challenging final year at college: “Badger provided a home and a space to grow, not only for me but for so many others within my creative field. It provided a safe space to share and get a response to my ideas without the barriers and limitations I faced within traditional education – ideas were met with enthusiasm, encouragement and insight.”

Her band has subsequently gone from strength to strength, and their debut track Anywhere was recently featured on BBC Introducing. Badger’s mentor support has also helped develop her passion for music programming, and she now has a bi-monthly slot at The Source Park, while documenting the artists Badger showcases through her photography – work she credits with helping kick-start her career in music.

For live updates and information go to instagram @badgeruk or email badgerenquiries@gmail.com.

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.

Have you ever been out for a walk along Hastings promenade on a Sunday afternoon and heard the soft grumble of four polyurethane wheels spinning over the smooth red-and-white concrete tiles, or seen someone coasting down the bike lane on a BMX, and thought to yourself, “I know someone who would like to have a go at that!”?

The Source Park Eagles Coaching team want you and this person you know to come and have a go. We’re down below in what is the world’s biggest underground skatepark.

Walk down the stairs of the Courtyard, located right at the centre of Hastings seafront just to the east of the pier and the White Rock Theatre. Go past all the hospitality venues, on through the building, and you’ll find yourself facing the Source Park Shop. Down more stairs, and you’ll be greeted by a friendly staff team, who’ll direct you to the free spectators area located above the main park.

No equipment? No issue. All of our sessions, whether for skateboarding or BMX riding and whether in 1:2:1 lessons or in groups, are inclusive of all hire equipment as well as use of the park. 

And we have a session for everyone: families, groups or individuals. Every lesson is tailored to meet the individual learner’s personal needs and goals. Qualified coaches run weekly tutorials for all abilities. 

On Monday and Tuesday evenings during term time there are kids’ sessions, and one for adult beginners.  Summer master classes begin on 7 August, also running on Mondays and Tuesdays. Autumn term sessions will resume at the end of September or beginning of October.

Age is no bar. The qualified coaching staff are all flexible and will work around your schedule to ensure you have the opportunity to learn valuable and transferable skatepark skills. When you’ve reached a certain level you can move up to the next stage.

The Eagle coaching team can be reached in person as above or online at coaching@sourcebmx.com. All coaches are qualified and DBS-checked.

Positive learning

 Parents’ endorsements:

“The increase in F’s confidence is amazing. I’ve watched my daughter go from very tentative beginnings to dare-devil skills in just a few months. It’s all highly controlled by staff – they’re always positive but also very caring”. 

“Of course my son has come off his bike from time to time, and he’s suffered a few scuffs and bruises, but I’ve never seen anyone seriously injured”. 

Who doesn’t love a freebie? The prospect of a free meal for two in these impecunious times kindles a certain joie de vivre which can surely never be experienced by the paying customer. It’s nothing short of thrilling to have the added bonus of being crowned ‘competition runner-up’ when approaching lunch at a squeaky-clean new Bok Shop, part of the recently redeveloped Courtyard buildings next to The Source Park in Hastings. 

CREDIT: Fiona McGarry

The actual winner of the Bok Shop’s Instagram competition received twelve months’ worth of free chicken (and a tattoo). Quite how one would entertain such an epic feat of culinary endurance is beyond me, so I was satisfied with second place – and since it was actually my partner who entered the competition, I wasn’t about to split hairs about the prize on offer. A free meal would suffice. And what a free meal it was…

When I see Buffalo spicy sauce on a menu in any form, it’s an easy decision from there on in, and the wittily named Jennifer Buffalopez burger didn’t disappoint. It was creamy, it was spicy, and the fried chicken was remarkably tender. Simply put, it was delicious, if a little too ‘saucy’ for me – but there I go splitting hairs again. 

CREDIT: Fiona McGarry

My partner ordered the vegan ‘chikn’ Satay Night Fever. I was fortunate to catch a bite: it was the best name on the menu and the burger itself was incredibly delicious. Vegan chicken is very hard to pull off, but when it’s done right, it’s as good as the real thing – and this was as good as the real thing. It was so good, in fact, that I felt deeply ashamed I didn’t go vegan for my own lunch. 

The staff were friendly and accommodating and even waved us goodbye, which was a nice touch. The Bok Shop has an ever-expanding empire of free-range chicken restaurants, with Southampton soon to join Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings in boasting Bok Shops. 

For now, though, if you are a chicken (or chikn) lover and haven’t yet tried a Bok Shop meal, you should cluck on down to The Courtyard. Of course, you’ll have to pay, unless, like me, you finished second place in a competition for free food. Or, more accurately, unless like me, you know someone who finished second place in a competition for free food. But the menu is reasonably priced and offers ‘Combo meals’ which are large enough to happily share between two. 

• The Bok Shop is at The Courtyard, White Rock, Hastings and is open Monday-Sunday 12-10pm.