June’s meeting with The Bright Foundation
At our June meeting, our members were treated to a wonderfully creative morning at the Benbow Arts Space in St Leonards, hosted by The Bright Foundation.
The Bright Foundation is an arts education charity rooted in Hastings and St Leonards, which was founded in 2018 by John Bright – an Academy Award and BAFTA-winning costume designer and founder of the renowned costume house Cosprop. Drawing on John’s deep belief that access to the arts can help create happier, healthier lives for children, the Foundation is dedicated to inspiring and nurturing the next generation of creative talent.
The Foundation operates across two distinct and imaginative spaces. The first being the Barn Theatre & Museum, which offers a 50-seat children’s theatre, interactive workshops, and a museum filled with antique toys, puppets, and traditional theatre artefacts. This unique venue brings stories and history to life in an engaging and playful way.
In May 2024, the Foundation unveiled its second site – the Benbow Arts Space – which served as the perfect backdrop for our June meeting. Housed in the beautifully restored former Admiral Benbow pub, the space has been transformed into a dynamic creative learning hub. It is specifically focused on film education and offers workshops, school visits, youth film collectives, and holiday programmes for young people aged 11 to 19, as well as supporting career development for those interested in joining the film and television industries.
Members were given the opportunity to explore the venue and discover its many creative spaces, which includes a museum of antique film equipment and cinematic curiosities, a stop-motion animation studio, a theatre and performance area, and – perhaps most memorably – what might be the smallest bar in Hastings!
We were also fortunate to hear from a panel of guest speakers:
Polly Risbridger, Chief Executive of The Bright Foundation, who gave a passionate overview of the Foundation’s work and vision. Polly spoke about the importance of encouraging young people to explore careers in the creative industries, the support their ambassadors, and the wide range of programmes available to develop future talent.
Louis Norton Selzer, Writer/Director/Editor at Panoptic Films, who shared examples of his previous film work and delivered an engaging talk on the power of visual storytelling. Louis offered practical advice on how local businesses can use video effectively in the digital age to connect with audiences and tell their own brand stories.
Julia Andrews-Clifford, Creative Director of the Electric Palace Cinema in Hastings, who spoke about the ongoing projects at this much-loved community cinema. Julia also highlighted the cinema’s role as a creative venue for hire, ideal for a range of events, workshops, and screenings.
Stella Landau from the 1066 Country Film Office (a department of Hastings Borough Council), who gave us a fascinating insight into the process behind filming permissions in Hastings and Rother. Stella also shared an exciting overview of the major film and television productions that have been shot locally – giving members a renewed appreciation for the area’s growing reputation as a filming destination.
