Students Bring History to Life with ‘Pop-Up Museum’ Honouring WWI Green Huts in Lewes

East Sussex College Art & Design students took centre stage at a “pop-up museum” exhibition event on October 26th and 27th, celebrating the rich heritage of Lewes’ historic “Green Huts".

The initiative of the event was inspired by the imminent threat of demolition facing these iconic structures, built during World War I as the camp church for soldiers training in Seaford, serving as a place of worship and solace for soldiers from Ireland, Canada, and the British West Indies.

The event showcased a collection of compelling visual art pieces created by sixteen Art & Design Extended Diploma students from East Sussex College. Students drew inspiration from discarded items left in the huts after the closure of Gorringes Auction Rooms in 2016, which had previously used the huts as premises. During the spring reopening, students selected and repurposed these objects, transforming them into thought-provoking artworks for this October exhibition.

They were supported by a series of thought-provoking talks, engaging readings, and live performances - celebrating the long-forgotten lives of the soldiers from the British West Indies Regiment who trained here in the winter of 1915-16 and used this hut.

The site offered layers of stories embedded in both its abandoned objects and the very fabric of the buildings. These forgotten items and structures, now deemed worthless, held intimate connections to the memories, dreams, and secrets of strangers now lost to time. Together with their tutor, who also created a piece in response to the huts, the students explored themes of loss, memory, and transformation. The exhibition delved deeper into these reflections, offering fresh perspectives on both the objects and the architecture of the space, and their forgotten pasts.

This two-day event invited the public to explore WWI artefacts, many of which connected directly to the lives of the soldiers who passed through Seaford. As attendees explored the art displays, they gained deeper insights into the huts' historical and cultural importance to Lewes and beyond.

James DiBiase, Art & Design Extended Diploma Course Leader at East Sussex College, reflected on the impact of the exhibition: “Hut Stories showcases exceptional work from East Sussex College Art & Design students, taking their creativity beyond the four walls of the studio into an unusual and historic setting.

"Displaying their artwork within the Green Huts, with all their rich past, adds another dimension to the history of these unique structures The quality of the students’ outcomes speaks to their dedication, and this public exhibition invites the community to engage with both the art and the story of the huts in a way that brings new life and meaning to our shared heritage.”

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