Community exhibition trail of new artwork celebrates the Clarendon area of Hove

Supported by a summer programme of artists' residencies, workshops and pop-up events, local people shared experiences, made new connections and explored what this community means to them.

The exhibition trail runs from Hove Gardens along Conway Street through to Conway Court, with artwork on outdoor display along the way. Starting in the large windows of the new Hove Gardens building, the trail continues across the road at the eclectic Industrial House windows on Conway Street, then it’s a short walk down the road to find images scattered across Dyson Gymnastics Club, Decon Laboratories and the Salvation Army. Visitors finish their route on Conway Court outside the Vallance Community Centre with an impressive show of photographic images across three large, bespoke exhibition stands.

Visit this free, outdoor exhibition until 27 October 2023: https://www.corridorprojects.org.uk/inthisplace

At Dyson Gymnastic Club, resident artist Sarah Hibbert created large-scale photographs that can be seen in windows of the new Hove Gardens building on Conway Street and the club’s entry gate. As a socially engaged visual artist, Sara immersed herself within the local community of this family-run club, photographing the gymnasium space using slide film, capturing the gymnasts digitally, scanning drawings made by gymnasts of all ages, as well as collaborating with coaches to re-stage significant gestures of support during training. In post-production, these become layered images representing all of this action and movement.

At Industrial House, APEC studio artist Lindsey Smith‘s series of playful and performative images – made in collaboration with the people at the heart of this creative hub, including resident businesses and not-for-profit organisations – are presented in the building’s windows, making what happens inside visible outside. Using hand gestures and the ‘tools of their trades’, the images capture the energy and innovation flourishing inside the building.

Produced by participatory arts organisation Corridor, IN THIS PLACE… brings together local residents, artists and communities through a programme of creative workshops, pop-up events and socially-engaged artist commissions, leading up to the exhibition this October. Corridor worked throughout the neighbourhood with community partners to discover local stories and co-create the photography exhibition in the public realm, for all to enjoy. As part of this, free workshops and pop-up events took place at the Vallance Community Centre, Salvation Army and Honeycroft Children's Centre in Hove.

The Corridor team said: "This project has surpassed our expectations as so many different corners of the community joined in. We’ve met fantastic people, and discovered myriad new community groups, charities, start-ups and traders all serving their neighbourhood and beyond and fiercely proud to do so. We hope the exhibition shares just a touch of that sparkle and pride.”