Our Town project to work with young people in Bognor Regis to reimagine town centre

An exciting new art consultation project “Our Town”, commissioned by Artswork as part of our Arun Inspires programme, will take place in Bognor Regis this autumn. This work has been devised in partnership with Bognor Regis Business Improvement District and Arun District Council.

Experienced photography artist and facilitator, Lewis, has been appointed to work with children and young people on the programme. Lewis will work with children and young people from Edward Bryant Primary School, Felpham Community College and CREATE Bognor (part of Sussex Clubs for Young People) to use photography and the arts to capture their ideas and imagination about the future of Bognor Regis town centre.

This process will culminate in a public exhibition of work exploring local young people’s visions for Bognor Regis town centre at the POP! unit opposite Place St Maur.

Arun Inspires Programme Manager, Beccy East explains;

“Youth led working is at the heart of Artswork’s mission to improve access to creativity and culture for all, and we hope this project will put the ideas and creativity of local children and young people right at the heart of thinking about Bognor Regis’s redevelopment.”

Bognor Regis BID Co-Ordinator, Heather Allen, comments;

“It’s absolutely vital that everyone’s voice is heard in the discussions around town centres, how they need to adapt and respond to stay vital and viable both now and for the future, and be appealing and accessible to all. This is a fantastic opportunity to raise the volume of young people’s voices in those conversations, which is why the BID was so keen to work with Artswork to develop this project.”

Lewis trained at Plymouth and has run photography workshops since 2006, working with young people across the country using photography in a variety of settings including for Buckinghamshire Culture, Warwick Arts on Referral, the Community Libraries Project Stockport and Peshkar Settle. His appointment was supported by input from art students from Years 8 and 12 at Felpham Community College.

Lewis says;

“I am very excited to be part of this project and to be working with the young people in Bognor and I am hoping that I can inspire them as much as I know they are going to inspire me.”

To find out more about the project, come along to the Our Town launch event on Place St Maur on Saturday September 3rd where an array of high-quality free family arts events will launch the project.

Arun Inspires is a 3-year cultural development programme in the District of Arun. It aims to advance the cultural offer for local children and young people, developing progressive and meaningful new creative opportunities for, with and by children, and working in partnership with the cultural, education, youth and community sectors to ensure long-term sustainable impact.

Bognor Regis Business Improvement District is a business driven, business led organisation that delivers activity to make Bognor Regis a well-known, vibrant, welcoming, accessible and sustainable town centre. 

Learn More About Lewis

Tags:

Arun arun district council Arun Inspires Our Town Project young people Youth Consultation