Artists Development
Flatland Projects delivers a series of parallel programmes at Beeching Road Studios which seek to fill the gaps in opportunities available to young people accessing creative industries. Working with Talent Accelerator (TA) and Hastings and Rother Arts in Education Network (HRAEN) as programme partners, Flatland has developed a series of initiatives which equip young people with specific skill sets and valuable support networks to make creative careers a viable and sustainable option.The reality of many art careers is that they are hybrid in nature. The aim of these programmes is to create valuable pathways for local young people to navigate these dualities within the arts. Creatives living and working in the creative sector in the South East typically have regular freelancing roles for example, such as gallery technician, art handler, studio assistant, art transportation, and art teacher.
The programmes cultivated within Flatland Futures prepare young people for these freelance opportunities, providing hands-on support and time and space to develop their skill set outside of the studio. Technician training, funding workshops and facilitating opportunities are some examples of the various free programmes on offer. The programmes developed by Flatland Projects function like vertical strands, each supporting creatives at different stages of their career. Each of these free opportunities are elected via open calls.
Future Programmes
Moving forward, all our programmes will be delivered as strands within the overarching programme Flatland Futures. Each programme is developed with the end goal of increasing accessibility to creative careers, whether that’s by offering mentoring, practical studio space or a specific skillset. There’s always more to be done in this area. Potential offshoots continue to arise from our initial programmes as the tides shift within creative industries. We’d love to extend our offering to delve into the current position of artist/curators for example, or to focus more specifically on arts writing. Regardless of how our programmes take shape or shift, we pledge to continue with our aim to make creatives careers a sustainable and viable option.
Early Careers Studio Programme
Open to creatives within the first ten years of their practice, the first iteration of ECSP saw 6 artists participate in a year-long studio-based residency. In addition to each having a solo show at Flatland Projects, the participants gained critical, curatorial and artistic input, via studio visits, clinics, workshops, and development conversations. Connections with local organisations were also extended during this first iteration, as the artists developed workshops with various schools, colleges and community groups.
Flatland x DLWP Curatorial Fellowship
Organised in collaboration with The De La Warr Pavilion this fellowship gives a curator within the first five years of their practice an opportunity to work in the curatorial teams at both The De La Warr Pavilion and Flatland Projects. The programme follows a two-fold structure, with the curator assisting the development of projects in both spaces for three months, before delivering their own proposed programme at Flatland Projects. The tandem makeup of this programme gives the emerging curator a chance to work across institutional and artist run contexts. This programme also runs simultaneously to the ECSP initiative, allowing fruitful crossovers to take place between the Curatorial Fellow and the artists on the studio programme.
Flatland Technicians Introduction Course
This Technical Training Programme had its first pilot round in the summer of 2023. Open to 18-25 year olds from East Sussex, this course was designed in response to the gaps in artistic development that were identified within our first iteration of our Early Careers Studio Programme (ECSP). Most artists in the region support their studio practice with freelance roles such as art handling or technician work, and this week-long workshop gave local young people hands-on experience of what it means to be a technician in an art gallery. Led by two experienced technicians Billy Stanley and Adam Burton, the programme covered basic skillsets and safety precautions in this role. Delivered in a supportive and accessible environment, this programme aims to deliver our commitment to widening access into the creative industries and making creative careers more visible and viable in our region.
Flatland Futures: 18–25-Year-Old Residency
Flatland Futures is open to emerging East Sussex artists between the ages of 18 and 25 who would heavily benefit from having dedicated studio time to develop their practice. The artists selected from the open call share a large communal studio which they’ll have access to each day. The first iteration of this programme is taking place from September 2023 through to February 2024, culminating with a group exhibition at the end of the studio residency. The principal aim of this programme is to create an access point into the artistic ecology of Bexhill and wider East Sussex for young artists at the beginning stage of their creative lives through focused studio time and peer support.
Programmes:
2025: Flatland X Soho House Prize: Natalia Janula2024: Flatland Solo Exhibition Prize: Harmeet Rahal
2025/26 Artswork Trainee - Kitty McCarron
2024/25 Artswork Trainee - Eeshan Banerjee
2025 Artist Writing Forum -
Keziah Keeler, Maddie Lock, RJ Fernandez, Ell, Jennifer Pattison, Laura, Hindmarsh, Jenny Swingler, Hannah Weber, George Wheeler, Tanvi Kant, Emma Pegg, Agata Bogacka, Nicole Zaaroura, Lucy Scott
2024 Artist Writing Forum -
Julia Kotziamani, Jacob Farrell, Kitty Clark, Rosie Dodgson, Rhiannon Inman-Simpson, Rosalind Faram, Courtney Snow,
Lucy Dearlove, Anne-Marie Watson, Roelof Bakker, Ashleigh Fisk, Adam Burton, Charlie Brookes, Bradley Caines, Alfie McKeough, Lucy Evetts, Sineid Codd, Catherine Farr, Jo Israel, Maya Shapiro Steen & Agata Bogacka
2023/24 Young Persons Studio Residency
Alfie Lucas, Benjamin Stezaker, Courtney Snow, Ellie Briffitt, Ethan Kirby, Thomas Fennell
2025 Artist Writing Forum Cohort
Flatland X DLWP Programmes:
2025/26 Studio Development Programme:
Agata Bogacka, Ell, Natalie Janula, Olivia Du Vergier,
Oscar Yasamee
2024/25 Studio Development Programme:
Richard Lockett, Sarah Gomes Harris, Flo Wright, Vannessa Farinha, Alastair Laas
2023/24 Studio Development Programme:
Babalola yusuf, William Bartlett, Alexi Marshall, Tommy Camerno, Richard Phoenix, Miroslava Vecerova
2025/26 Curational Fellowship - Maggie Murray
2024 Curational Fellowship - Harry Leek
2023 Curational Fellowship - Fran Painter Fleming
Flatland Artist Residency 2025 C.U. Next Tuesday Collective:
2025 Residencies:
Young Creatives Collective - In partnership with Peter Marlow Foundation, DLWP & Refugee Buddy ProjectAbraham O, Alina Khrebtova, Exgsosa Zubi, Fatima Elkhaldi, Fatima Esayli, Gatkuoth Juach,
Julia Garcia Lopez Lara Bahr, Marlyn Lopez, Marwah Bencaid, Mohamad Alezzo, Nour El-Din, Raul Pena Gironand, Rémi Duangphrachanh, Sheffa Katz
C. U. Next Tuesday Collective - In partnership with Talent Accelerator
Charly Scholes, Jules Turner, Elva Webb, Erin Vallance.
BARC Publishing Artist Writng Residency - Elaine Mullings
BARC Publishing Artist Writing Residency - Julia Kotziamani
2026 Programme Open Call:
Deadline for event listings: 15th April 2026
We are looking for an array of artists, groups and initiatives to host creative events as part of the Bexhill Art Weekender on the 15th and 16th August 2026.
Bexhill Art Weekender is a town-wide celebration of contemporary art, culture and creativity embedded within the civic life of Bexhill-on-Sea.
Founded by Flatland Projects and delivered through the Bexhill Cultural Network, the Weekender brings together organisations, artist studios, independent creatives, community groups, schools, businesses and residents to showcase the cultural vitality of our town
.The 2026 programme will:
- Champion participation, pride and place
- Platform artists at all stages of their careers
- Support grassroots and emerging initiatives
- Encourage intergenerational exchange
- Celebrate Bexhill’s distinctive cultural ecology
- Contribute to the long-term ambitions of the town, including the UK Town of Culture 2028 bid
We aim to build a programme that is ambitious, generous and welcoming — reflecting the full breadth of Bexhill’s communities.
To apply to be apart of Bexhill Art Weekender 2026, fill out the application form above.
Instructions: fill out the form with relevent details of your event, including lead images and public liabilty insurance.
Bexhill as UK Town of Culture 2028 – what is our story?
PRESS RELEASEFor immediate release
In January this year, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced a new UK-wide competition for the UK Town Of Culture 2028. Towns of all different sizes are invited to bid for a total of £3.5m to spend on an ambitious programme of cultural activity that tells its unique story and contribution to the UK.
The Bexhill Cultural Network (BCN) intends to put Bexhill forward for this incredible opportunity. If successful, residents of Bexhill , as well as those who visit , will create, have access to and participate in activities such as dance, drama, song, art, craft, music, film, events and festivals that will show the world what a fantastic town we live in.
As a first step towards the Expression of Interest, BCN need to know how you, the people of Bexhill, want to tell our story – a story that sets Bexhill apart from the hundreds of other towns that will apply. We only have 400 words to do this so we invite you to respond to four key questions and statements that we have been asked us to consider, that will help us pull that story together:
- What are Bexhill’s values?
- What is Bexhill proud of?
- How does Bexhill contribute to our national story?
- Bexhill is a fantastic place to be because…
You can respond via Survey Monkey at this link.
Through conversations and workshops we have learned that Bexhill sees itself as a town shaped by independence and care; for the sea, for shared spaces, and for the everyday life of the community. We know that very many people shape the culture of Bexhill in a myriad of ways: in schools and after school clubs, on the beach and in open spaces, in industrial units and community halls, through music, making, storytelling, heritage and social, well-being and sporting activity. They contribute to the cultural life of the town, often voluntarily, without ever calling, or knowing it as ‘culture’.
Therefore we need as many people as possible - individuals of all ages, shops, businesses, cafes and restaurants, B&Bs, charities, sports clubs, community groups, care homes and social groups of all kinds - to tell us what you know and love about Bexhill.
Your survey responses, along with the public consultation carried out by the Bexhill Neighbourhood Board in 2024, will help BCN tell the story of Bexhill in your words, and create the vision of what our Town of Culture programme might include. Please help us to tell our unique and authentic story and win this huge investment for our town.
Due to the quick turnaround of the application process, please respond by using this survey link by midnight on Sunday 22 February.
We are pleased to have the support of Dr Kieran Mullan, MP for Bexhill and Battle who says:
“I’m delighted that Bexhill will be applying to be the UK Town of Culture 2028. Anyone who lives in, works in, or visits Bexhill already knows that the town has a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive cultural scene. Throughout the year, it hosts and supports a broad and exciting range of cultural events, exhibitions, educational programmes, societies, clubs, and organisations.”
Bexhill’s passion and enthusiasm for culture make the town unique and help residents of all ages to live full and enriched lives. I am proud to give my full support to this bid.”
More information on the UK Town Of Culture competition can be found here.
Notes to editors:
· The Bexhill Cultural Network delivered the successful Bexhill Art Weekender in September 2025. Currently it comprises representatives from : 18 Hours Events, Beeching Road Studios, Bexhill Museum, Bexhill Town Council, Common Clay, De La Warr Pavilion, Flatland Projects, Footbridge Gallery, Heart of Sidley, Ibex Studios, Living Communities (Love Art By The Sea), RePublic, The Refugee Buddy Project, Three Legs Brewery, Rother District Council, Talent Accelerator, The Old Ambulance Station, Young Creatives Collective.
· The Expression of Interest needs to be received by the UK Government by 31 March 2026. If successful, we would be granted £60k to develop a fuller and more detailed application which will take place this summer.
Click here to complete the survey: Bexhill as
UK Town of Culture 2028 - what is our story?
Tell us what makes Bexhill a fantastic place to live!