Defending Arts and Culture in Brighton & Hove #6: Artist-led Projects and Interconnectivity

Brighton & Hove is a city brimming with creativity, yet over the past decade, it has faced a series of crises—gallery closures, disappearing spaces, and increasing precarity for artists. Despite its reputation for artistic richness, many feel the city struggles with interconnectivity. What is the root of this issue, and how should we respond? How can we strengthen links within the artistic community and collectively fight for our city?

In a time of uncertainty and transformation, how can artist-led projects foster deeper connections and more resilient creative networks? This panel discussion brings together artists and organisers who are actively shaping Brighton & Hove’s cultural landscape, exploring how grassroots initiatives, collaborative spaces, and independent artistic practices can drive meaningful change.

Together, they will explore the challenges and possibilities of artist-led projects, how they can respond to the urgent issues facing the city, and how we can cultivate a more interconnected and supportive artistic community.

Join us for an evening of conversation, reflection, and inspiration.

Our Panel

Pascal and Paulina from The Adelaide Salon, a

home-based gathering space experimenting with conversation, performance, and artistic exchange.

Neil Pavey from Social Circles. Brighton Socially Engaged Artists peer group that host monthly meet ups.

Sam Williams

Sam is an artist and public art producer who specialises in playful projects.
She works with clients, communities & businesses on ambitious projects that explore how play and creativity can enrich our everyday lives.Over the last 10 years Sam has gained experience leading large scale projects for public spaces as an artist, curator, producer and project manager, which she now delivers under her company Sam Williams Studio LTD. Our projects are always underpinned by inclusive practice and we aim to actively support early career & local creatives to have access to rich opportunities. We collaborate with artists, producers, place-makers, fabricators, architects, engineers and more to deliver on the varied needs of each project.

Arabel Lebrusan, founder of Arts Socials.
This bimonthly Friday gathering has been running for just over a year at Puck in Seven Dials, Brighton. Artists, curators, and art lovers are invited to come together to share, get to know each other and their practices, and contribute to improving Brighton’s art ecosystem.

Arabel Lebrusan is a visual artist, and her works are often recognized for their use of everyday materials, revealing both the beauty and the uncanny horrors of our present and past. Her artworks, often sculptures and site-specific interventions, address broader issues of power dynamics and exploitation. She regularly exhibits nationally.

Session details

Session Lead: Bradley Tuck

In Person: Southern Belle, 3, Waterloo Street, Hove

The venue is not wheelchair accessible

Click to join On Zoom

Meeting ID: 885 1429 8502

Passcode: 580088

Time: 6:30 pm Doors. Start 7:00 pm-9:30 pm.

Book a free place on Eventbright

If for some reason you can’t make it and you already bought a ticket, please release it so others can come to the event. You can also email us at explodingappendix@gmail.com for any inquiries.

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About Defending Arts and Culture in Brighton and Hove series

The aim of this session is to bring people together to think collaboratively about how we can strengthen arts and culture in Brighton and Hove. As with all sessions in this series, we take a broad view of culture, integrating the arts, education, sport, social life, and community organizing into our vision for a thriving city.