Hastings Town Of Sanctuary 

Part of Coastal Currents 2025

We are BACK with a very exciting participatory show launching at Unit 2. 

East Sussex has a widening gap, when it comes to inequalities across the county with a challenge on creating everlasting community cohesion, between culture, social status and marginalised communities. Public realm and social cohesion need to play a bigger part in the overall conversation for all towns as we look to build new and sustainable environments for future generations based upon acceptance, acknowledgement and public values. 

‘Hastings Town of Sanctuary’ identifies the need for conversation, shared values and the acceptance of different approaches to social, political and cultural change. 

Business, support services, organisations and communities are challenged to build for the future a town that feels welcoming to all, a place of sanctuary creating a united approach based upon acceptance, focused on public realm, building cooperative movements and delivering a safe town.

There is need for a greater change, an intervention, through increased social interaction and understanding, finding common links between community and business in a space where we can all make a difference sharing skills, across practical hands-on approaches with organisation and communication skills working together to rebuild.

This piece of work, is created with an aim to bring thought, engagement and feeling to the forefront along with hesitancy, challenge and question. 

The buildings displayed remind us of the town and how we used to live, and the changes we see before us to live longer, live for the future along with our need for more cultural integration.

We invite you to share your thoughts, which will be shared in the local news. We ask you not to query who has created this piece of work but to respond to it in the way you wish to.

The exhibition will ask:

How would you describe a town of Sanctuary?

Can communities thrive and survive without community cohesion & public realm?

How can we reimagine and rebuild Hastings?

Further useful information visit: Hastings Community of Sanctuary hastings.cityofsanctuary.org

Visit and take part: 

Thursday 4 September 11-6

Friday 5 September 11- 6

Saturday 6 September 10-6

Sunday 7 September 11-5