Eastbourne Tunes Into Youth Viewpoint

The need for safe meeting places for young people in Eastbourne and a call for vibrant street art were among the suggestions from creative students at East Sussex College.

East Sussex College Eastbourne, Art and Design students were tasked to co-create a creative manifesto for Eastbourne by Towner and Eastbourne Alive. Students studying for an Extended Diploma in Creative Practice created placards to express their own values and, as part of their course, also visited the Towner gallery to showcase their work.

Students were then invited to create an intervention in the Towner as part of the Turner Prize to celebrate their values as young creatives in Eastbourne. Out of this experience students were tasked to present a motion to our local council by Sarah Dance, Director of Eastbourne Alive.

The group was then invited to Eastbourne Borough Council’s town hall to share their ideas as part of Eastbourne Alive, the Turner Prize wraparound project for the town. The visit was aimed at giving the town’s young people a voice so they could co-create a town manifesto.

The students highlighted their priorities in areas such as accessibility, inclusivity, safety, transport, creativity and wellbeing.

These views led to a motion at a full meeting of Eastbourne Borough Council (February 28) to amplify youth voices and hear their concerns.

Among the key points raised at the town hall meeting between the students and council leader Stephen Holt and Councillor Jenny Williams were:

• “Advertising for tourism could be better and more inviting – it could involve more artworks. You can communicate what you are saying with graffiti, using creativity. It’s not just for galleries but can be in the street.”
• “There is no accessibility for the beach.”
• “A lot of young people feel quite isolated. The Beacon shopping centre is geared to consumerism and there is a big drop in people of our generation who shop like that.”
• “There are not many places to hang out. We should not have to spend money in cafes when we see friends just to shelter from the rain."
• “We want a community – we can feel so lonely. There is nowhere for us to go and meet people. Eastbourne is in danger of becoming a relic rather than a town. It feels like it’s built for the older generation.”

These insights led to a motion to take into account the perspectives of young people in decision-making processes and to support opportunities for positive engagement.

The council said the motion marked a pivotal moment in Eastbourne’s commitment to youth engagement and collaborative decision-making.

Councillor Holt said: “We were inspired by the voices of the young people and to hear the issues that were important to them. So many of them were resonant with the concerns of so many of our residents. It is important we find ways to ensure that our younger generation feel part of the town and feel connected to civic engagement.”

Councillor Williams said: “I would like to thank the young people for their thoughtful approach. They brought considered insight into what it is like to be a young person in Eastbourne and in them I saw our leaders of tomorrow.”

Sarah Dance, of Eastbourne Alive, said: “It has been a real honour to work with the students. They were utterly amazing.”

If you’re interested in studying a creative course at East Sussex College, please click here to find all relevant courses on offer.