Turner Prize exhibition opens in Eastbourne

As the Turner Prize exhibition opens in Eastbourne, there is plenty of confidence that the knock-on benefits will be long and lasting for the town and further afield.

The expectation is that Towner Eastbourne will receive something like 100,000 visitors over and above their normal numbers during the Turner Prize 2023 exhibition which will run from September 28 to April 14 (free admission). Part of the challenge will be to ensure that some of that extra interest will remain long after the Turner Prize has moved on.

Joe Hill, director and CEO Towner Eastbourne, is optimistic Eastbourne’s big moment can be made to endure.

“We have been talking about this for a long time and it is amazing how quickly it's going to come around but everything is coming together really nicely. It's a fantastic opportunity for us to show what we can do to the great and the good of the art world but also to reach people in the area that have not visited Towner before. This is a great opportunity to get people excited. It goes way beyond the town. This is a chance to share our pride in Eastbourne both nationally and internationally. We're already seeing such a lot of interest in the south coast, showing just what a vibrant and exciting place it is.

“And it is not just the town that's got behind the Turner Prize here but also East Sussex as a whole. All the cultural organisations have put their best foot forward, de la Warr, Hastings Contemporary… and there are great things going on at Newhaven, and it looks like Ditchling are going to have a great show. Maybe it is just me because I'm in the middle of it but it really seems all embracing. The buzz feels absolutely palpable.”

Usually the Turner Prize is associated with the City of Culture, for instance Coventry a couple of years ago, Bradford in 2025: “But every now and again there is an opportunity for it to go somewhere that is not within that City of Culture remit. Tate put out a bidding process and we put in our bid and were in a shortlist of three. I was quite shocked when we got it because the other two were really strong contenders but they gave us great feedback. They really liked the gallery and what we're trying to do here, they liked Eastbourne, they liked the hotels, they liked the separate structures around the gallery, they liked everything about it.”

To capitalise on it all, the town this week sees the launch of Eastbourne ALIVE, an ambitious cultural programme which will wrap around the Turner Prize. Amongst other things happening, a series of major public artworks and interventions will be installed across Eastbourne. As Joe says, part of the emphasis will be to engage with young people: “But really the aim is that there should be a legacy, that we can show that art and culture can support the town and bring money in and support young people and improve people's lives.”

Preparation for the exhibition has been a great chance to get to know the shortlisted artists: Jesse Darling, Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim and Barbara Walker: “Fortunately we've had no issues at all. They're not seeing each other as competitors. They get on well, but you realise they are under enormous pressure. They have got to put on the best show of their lives but people are wanting to know more about them, people are wanting interviews. They're all delighted to have been shortlisted and they all see that as a huge achievement but obviously they want to go on and win the prize.” As for visitor numbers: “We have looked at other examples and it seems regionally other organisations have had more than 100,000 more than visitors than usual and I think that is quite feasible for us. We've got the chance to do that. I think the range of work on the shortlist has got very good appeal to all sorts of people and Eastbourne ALIVE has added another layer.”