Local Charity Seeks Council Support for New Cultural Centre

Local charity Charleston has formally requested a long lease from Lewes District Council to create a permanent cultural centre for the town after over 100,000 people have visited during an 18-month trial period. The aim is to grow the space into a vibrant cultural hub, building on the momentum of a successful initial opening period. The Lewes venue has already demonstrated its value to the community and this next step would further establish it as a cornerstone for arts, heritage and community activities in the region.

At a time of significant challenges for independent retailers, Lewes District Council has published an independent economic impact report demonstrating the benefits of the project to the local economy. The findings calculate that Charleston in Lewes is contributing a £4 million boost to the district through increased footfall, job creation and expanded business opportunities in the hospitality and retail sectors. By attracting visitors and providing a platform for local artists and performers, the project is expected to play a key role in the town’s regeneration.

The initiative also features an exciting partnership with the East Sussex College, which has successfully launched a Creative Skills Studio within the cultural space. The programme will support 800 young people annually, offering training in creative industries, event management and digital media. The partnership was highlighted in the college’s recent Ofsted report and inspectors praised the partnership with Charleston.

Charleston’s Director, Nathaniel Hepburn, says “We are delighted with the success of the first 18-months of this new cultural centre in Lewes. A long lease will allow us to continue investing in Charleston in Lewes working with the local authority, the college and other local and national partners, to ensure we become a space used by the whole of our community.”

The council will be considering the proposal at their next Cabinet meeting on 20 March.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

For press enquiries and image requests please contact:

press@charleston.org.uk

Image credits

Charleston in Lewes, photography Lewis Ronald

Charleston location

Charleston in Lewes, Southover Road, Lewes, BN7 1FB

Charleston is a place that brings people together to engage with art and ideas. The modernist home and studio of the painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, Charleston was a gathering point for some of the 20th century’s most radical artists, writers and thinkers known collectively as the Bloomsbury group. It is where they came together to imagine society differently and has always been a place where art and experimental thinking are at the centre of everyday life. Today, we have two locations – the house, garden and galleries at Firle and our new space in Lewes. We present a dynamic year-round programme of exhibitions, events and festivals. We believe in the power of art, in all its forms, to provoke new ways of thinking and living. www.charleston.org.uk