About us

Vision

Transforming lives and communities through the arts.

Mission

Proud of our unique place in Eastbourne, where the coast and South Downs meet, we support artists and create experiences for everyone that connect, challenge, and inspire. 

Towner Values

Generosity

We share the gallery with diverse communities, making sure Towner is a welcoming, safe space for everyone to enjoy. We value different perspectives and treat each other with kindness and respect.

Creativity

Creativity inspires everything we do. We innovate across our organisation; in our working practices, our openness to collaborate and how we engage with communities. 

Relevance

We always strive to be closely connected with our audiences and artists. By listening to different perspectives, we ensure our activities are reflective of people’s lives. We champion the region and nurture its identity. 

Integrity

We are committed to being ethical, honest and transparent in the governance of our charity, its financial management and across all our activities. We are accountable for our decisions and take ownership of our actions.

Bravery

We are confident and courageous, open to risk-taking across all aspects of our work, and will push the boundaries of what an art gallery can do.

Director: Joe Hill

Deputy Director: Niamh Pearce

Director of Development: Clare Dobson

PA & Development Assistant: Michele Monteith

Development Co-ordinator: Sophie Ball

Head of Finance: Charles Rowney

Head of Collections & Exhibitions: Sara Cooper

Collections & Exhibitions Curator: Karen Taylor

Exhibitions & Offsite Curator: Noelle Collins

Collections & Exhibitions Administrator: Mariana Elsesser

Commissions & Public Programme Curator: Emily Medd

Curatorial Projects Co-ordinator (Collections and Acquisitions): Hollie Douglas

Head of Learning: Esther Collins

Learning Curator - Children & Young People: Mollie Howells

Skills & Opportunities Producer (11 to 25 year olds): Liz Corkhill

Newhaven Creative Producer: Nick Stockman

Head of Marketing & Communications: Emma Haggerty

Digital & Marketing Manager: Keziah Keeler

Audience Development Manager: Helen Lewandowski

Marketing & Communications Coordinator: Cameron Brown

Head of Events: Hannah Jordan

Events Co-ordinator: Luka Shaxon

Technical Manager: Sam Pullen

Retail Manager: Linda Partrick

Retail Co-ordinator: Rachael Trewin

Facilities Manager: Simon Sherning

Visitor Services Manager: Remus Au

Duty Manager: Davey Smith

Accredited Conservator & Consultant: Corinne Farmer 

Towner Eastbourne became a Charitable Trust on 1 July 2014.

Our current Board of Trustees:

Chair: Stephen Welton CBE – Chair of the British Business Bank
President: David Dimbleby – Journalist and former broadcaster

Josh Babarinde OBE MP – MP for Eastbourne

Cllr Margaret Bannister – Eastbourne Borough Council

Professor Flora Dennis – Senior Lecturer in Art History, University of Sussex

Joseph Jones – Senior Lecturer, School of Art and Media, University of Brighton

Gyr King – Founding Director, King & McGaw

Caroline Lucas - Writer and former Green Party MP

Jonathan Smales - CEO, Human Nature

Catherine Wood – Director of Programme, Tate Modern

Towner strives to be an inclusive, enjoyable and safe space for everyone, this covers staff and volunteers and the artists we work with, as well as the visitors and participants who visit our venue in person or experience our activities offsite/online.  

To help us achieve this aim we ask everyone to read and follow Towner’s Code of Conduct. 

Expect Action 
Towner is an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory organisation and is continuously working toward being better. Sexual harassment, acts of aggression, racism, misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, religious bigotry or hatred and discrimination of any kind are not permitted and will be dealt with quickly and effectively.  

If we witness or encounter any behaviour that is discriminatory or it is reported to us, we reserve the right to insist the perpetrator(s) leave(s) the building or an event (including digital events). We will investigate and report hate incidents/hate crimes and/or support others to report these themselves.  Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol does not exclude or excuse abusive behaviour. 

Situations involving staff will be dealt with using our disciplinary procedures.  

Speak out  
If you see disagreeable or discriminatory behaviour please report it, or challenge it. You can do this by challenging it yourself if you feel able to, or make a member of Towner staff aware in person, or by flagging it to the host(s) of the online event. We will take this seriously and either support you to report it or we can report them on your behalf.  

Be open-minded 
Keep an open mind. Everyone has a different life experience and may be struggling with challenges that are not always visible. Do not make assumptions on the opinions or experiences of others. Actively listen. 

Respect boundaries 
Be aware of, and respect, the emotional and social boundaries of others. Don’t assume that others have the same physical and emotional boundaries as you. 

Be kind with words 
Be kind with your words and aware of the power of language to include or exclude. Be aware of how the words you use might affect others. Take time to understand the issues and use inclusive language. Be respectful of pronouns and ask people how they want to be addressed.  

Share the space 
Make every effort to share our space(s) with kindness and consideration for other people’s needs. Some people will not have had the opportunities and experiences you may have had and may not be as comfortable in the space as you.  

Express opinions respectfully 
We encourage you to express your opinions in a constructive, non-judgemental, respectful and courteous manner. 

Consent 
Seek consent and if someone says ‘no’, or asks you to stop something, then stop. This includes taking photographs or recordings which may include other people. We occasionally photograph and film during events and we will let you know when this is happening so that you can opt out. 

Towner Eastbourne aims to respond to the needs of our diverse audiences, artists and collaborators, and strives to create inclusive, engaging and positive environments for everyone, both on and offline.

By participating in Towner Eastbourne’s social media platforms and online communities, you agree to abide by this Digital Code of Conduct. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at towner@townereastbourne.org.uk

Respectful Behaviour

All users are expected to behave in a respectful manner, this includes making sure under-represented voices are heard, and respecting given terminology and how our artists, audiences, staff and collaborators choose to be recognised with regard to gender, dis/ability, sexuality and other self-indentification.

Harassment

Harassment of any kind, including but not limited to, racial or sexual harassment, ageism, classism, and religious discrimmination, is strictly prohibited.

Language

Towner acknowledges that language is fluid and constantly changing, and viewpoints will differ on the use of certain words and phrases. In person, online and through other channels, Towner is constantly reviewing the relevance and clarity of the language it uses and will be open and transparent where and when our communications should be improved.

Abusive Language

Verbal abuse, swearing and offensive language will not be tolerated, and language that we understand to be inappropriate may also be removed.

Images

Inappropriate images shared to our timeline will be reported to the platform service provider and removed.

Spamming

Spamming, posting irrelevant or inappropriate content, sharing third-party links, or excessive self-promotion is not allowed in the comments or timeline and will be removed.

Online Discussion

Open-minded discussion and opportunities for learning are welcome on our channels, but please listen and respect differences of experience and opinion, express your ideas clearly and with consideration, and avoid making assumptions based purely on your own experiences, privilege and background.

Young People

Please be aware when posting that our website and social media platforms are used regularly by schools and young people as an educational resource.

Freedom of Expression

Towner has a strong responsibility to protecting its artists and is committed to promoting their freedom from censorship, harassment, threats, cultural violence, appropriation and silencing. Artists must be allowed to challenge norms and create debate: art often provokes us, and the artist’s intentions may be to evoke specific reactions and emotions from the viewer or to convey a specific message that allows us to understand ourselves and our society in a different way.

Privacy

Confidential information and personal information about others, their work, or the gallery should not be disclosed.

Accessibility

Towner strives to make its online presence accessible to all users and is constantly working to improve its website's accessibility. We actively encourage the input and feedback of anyone whose needs are currently not being met. Please email us on towner@townereastbourne.org.uk or ring us on 01323 434670

Contacting Towner

Audiences are at the heart of what we do and an integral part of our organisation. Unfortunately, are not able to respond to every comment or questions via social media. If you have feedback or would like to ask us a question, the best way to get hold of us is to email towner@townereastbourne.org.uk

Moderation

Failure to comply with any of the above may result in moderation and being blocked from following any/all of Towner Eastbourne’s online accounts.

Modification of the Digital Code of Conduct: This Code of Conduct may be updated from time to time, and visitors are responsible for staying informed of any changes.

At Towner we always aim to be accessible to all and will do our best to make your visit as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Staff are always available to provide support if needed and you can also contact us in advance if you wish to discuss some specific requirements that you may need some support with.

Please contact us on 01323 434675 or towner@townereastbourne.org.uk

We provide the following resources:

A very large lift to all floors, which is particularly useful for groups.

A manual wheelchair for visitors to use on site (contact us to book in advance)

An induction loop system at the welcome desk and in the cinema

Regular captioned screenings in our cinema

Large-print exhibition guides for all exhibitions. These can also be downloaded from our website before your visit

Helpful staff in our exhibition spaces

Sensory Bags containing aids such as ear defenders, fidget toys, mini-magnifiers, colour paddles and Sunflower lanyards are available for the duration of your visit

We don’t have a permanent Quiet Space but will always be happy to find one on the day. Just speak to one of our team.

Quiet Time sessions, for groups who would benefit from a calmer, more relaxed experience, can be arranged on request. The sessions are mainly for – but not limited to – children, young people and adults with autism; people with social, emotional, or mental health needs; adults living with dementia; and any other visitors, groups or classes with sensory needs or who may benefit from a calmer experience. Please contact mollie.howells@townereastbourne.org.uk to discuss options. We can only consider requests with minimum four weeks notice.

Captions are included as standard in any films produced by Towner.

Guide, hearing, and assistance dogs are welcome at Towner – feel free to ask at the welcome desk for a water bowl.

Seating is provided in our spaces, wherever possible, and we also have portable stools available on request that you can carry with you.

If you have particular needs in the event of an emergency evacuation, please inform the welcome desk on arrival.

Towner recognises that its activities have an impact on the environment, especially in relation to energy consumption, material usage, and visitor and staff travel to the gallery. We are committed to ensuring sustainability awareness informs all aspects of decision-making across the organisation. As a major civic institution in Eastbourne - in receipt of annual funding from the Local Authority and occupying a council-owned building - we recognise our role in supporting Eastbourne Borough Council’s commitment to be ‘Eastbourne Carbon Neutral’ by 2030, and their associated Climate Emergency Strategy & Action Plan. We will work with the Council to identify collaborative projects or initiatives that can support this objective, such as developing green power sources at Towner.

This policy provides the overarching framework for Towner’s Sustainable Development Action Plan, which includes specific targets and objectives to deliver the commitments and ambitions below - to ensure that the gallery’s activities are managed in a way that maximises positive impacts and minimises negative impacts on the environment, on people and on the local community, as well as full compliance with relevant legislation.

Employee and Visitor Engagement

· Our commitment to sustainability is articulated in our induction process and through our staff engagement programme – Stop! Think Green - which articulates our expectation for all staff and volunteers to place sustainability at the centre of decision making at both a personal and organisational level.

· We encourage our employees and volunteers to contribute to our action plan. We actively identify opportunities to connect with other ‘green’ organisations and campaigns and promote these to our staff/vols and our audiences.

· A member of the Senior Management Team (Deputy Director) leads on sustainability and reports on our action plan at quarterly Trustee Meetings.

· We aim to increase public awareness of sustainability issues in our publicity materials and also on site, encouraging our visitors to support our work in this area and consider their own impact on the environment.

· We offer subsidised/free venue hire to community organisations presenting events or activities that encourage positive action and debate on environmental issues (in addition to our own programme).

Energy

· As an accredited museum with large gallery spaces and an Art Store our energy usage is high. This is primarily due to the need to maintain 24hr/365 environmental controls in these spaces. We proactively monitor and fine-tune this system in accordance to the requirements of each exhibition, identifying opportunities to reduce controls wherever possible whilst still ensuring artworks are protected.

· We actively follow and contribute to sectoral-wide debate on conservation requirements versus energy use.

· We are committed to a complete move to LED lighting throughout the building.

· We are committed to reducing our use of non-renewable energy and are keen to develop our own sustainable energy supply.

Waste

· In recent years we have reviewed how we present our exhibitions and other activities with an increased focus on minimising waste, reusing materials and sourcing products with lower environmental impact, alongside more strategic planning of exhibition schedules to reduce the need for additional build.

· We have identified and are now working with community partners who receive and reuse installation waste materials.

· The ethos of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, is promoted amongst employees and visitors, and clearly defined recycling facilities are provided for a range of materials including paper, card, plastics, metal, glass and wood.

· We are Ambassadors for Plastic Free Eastbourne, and we are working towards elimination of any single use plastic across all our activities.

Procurement

· We encourage use of local, sustainable, ethically sourced products and services, for exhibitions, in our shop and café and for day-to-day operations in the gallery.

· For formally procured work we ask tender applicants to provide evidence of their commitment to sustainability.

· We will favour working with partners/businesses who demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability.

Travel

· We will proactively promote details of how to travel to the gallery by foot, bicycle and public transport across all our platforms.

· We carry out surveys of our customers to find out how they travel to the gallery to investigate if any transport means could be improved or promoted further.

· Bicycle racks are provided at the gallery and cycling and walking are both proactively promoted via special trails and events.

· We will identify other ways of encouraging energy efficient travel, such as lobbying for electric car charging points close to our building.

· We offer a Cycle to Work scheme for staff to encourage cycle use.

Programme

· As well as practical measures to reduce waste and energy use outlined above, we recognise that our exhibitions and other activities (learning, cinema, talks) offer a powerful opportunity to present and explore environmental themes and to celebrate artists working in this field. We will continue to seek out and support opportunities to present such work across our programme and will encourage visitor engagement with associated themes in a variety of ways.

· In our role as a community hub we will present and promote events that encourage community debate and discussion on environmental issues.

This policy is reviewed annually and updated to reflect new initiatives and developments. If you have any questions regarding the policy, please contact: Niamh Pearce, Deputy Director niamh.pearce@townreastbourne.org.uk

In June 2020, Towner Eastbourne outlined its commitment to becoming an actively anti-racist organisation in response to the Black Lives Matter global action following the murder of George Floyd on 25 May 2020. We last reported our progress on actions taken and forthcoming priorities in December 2020. Given the long period of lockdown in the first half of 2021, most of the work to take forward our commitments has taken place in the latter half of the year, so an interim six-month report was not issued in the summer, as we had planned.

Our priority this year has been on developing an anti-racist culture within our team of staff, volunteers and trustees. Focus was around the first half-day Diversity and Inclusion Workshop in September led by trustees Jenny Williams and Mark Moorton, co-chairs of the Diversity Task Group with experience and expertise in diversity, inclusion and unconscious bias training. This first of regular sessions invited staff, volunteers and Trustees to reflect and share personal experiences of discrimination in all forms so we could learn from each other and begin to understand how individually, we can contribute to making Towner actively anti-racist and inclusive to everyone. Our reflective discussion was the starting point for an open, informed debate about how we create an ethical internal culture that will help deliver our commitments around programme, public engagement and speaking out. The session also included unconscious bias training and discussions on recognising and challenging unwanted behaviour.

We invited anonymous feedback to help inform next steps in our actions. These include a commitment to hold two all team sessions each year to continue conversation around anti-racism and to explore broader issues of diversity and inclusion across the organisation and in our programme, for instance how to make Towner genuinely accessible to other groups such as disabled, D/deaf and neurodiverse people, those who particularly marginalised due to their experience of multiple disadvantages, and those who experience disadvantage due to lower socio-economic background.

Other actions undertaken during 2021 include:

Internal Culture

· The Diversity Task Group (DTG) meets monthly to ensure delivery of the action plan. It reports on progress at quarterly board meetings under a standing Diversity and Inclusivity agenda item and ensures the governing body’s accountability for Towner’s Inclusivity & Relevance Action Plan and its commitment to diversify board membership over the next two years up to 2024.

· The DTG has prepared the groups Terms of Reference to be published in early 2022, which will set out the process for broadening the group’s membership.

· Expressions of interest to join the DTG have been invited from the wider team including Front of House, Shop, Café and volunteers ahead of publication of the Terms of Reference.

· A Code of Conduct has been agreed and shared internally with expectations for behaviour of staff, volunteers, the artists we work with and of visitors and participants, both in our physical and digital spaces. Its aim is to support the team in ensuring Towner is an inclusive, enjoyable and safe space for everyone.

· The Staff Handbook and induction materials have been reviewed to reinforce Towner’s values and diversity commitments, particularly around anti-racism and expectations of staff conduct.

· Recruitment and hiring procedures and practices have been reviewed to ensure that our workspace is inclusive there everyone can be themselves and succeed on merit.

· Staff with line management responsibility have received training in ethical recruitment and our new performance review procedures.

· A Diversity Survey was carried out of the whole team in May 2021 which captured diversity data for all protected characteristics across our workforce as well as gathering feedback from staff on our performance in relation to diversity & inclusion.

· We have reviewed our gift acceptance and ethics policies to ensure that they are reflective of our anti-racist principles

Public and community activity

· All exhibitions, engagement activities, events, commissions, acquisitions and projects are considered for their strategic relevance including priorities around diversity and inclusion through a new Project Plan and Evaluation Template to ensure delivery against organisational priorities from point of conception to review post project.

· Diversity and Inclusion is a standing agenda point in our programming meetings to ensure that we continue to explore the opportunities we are offering and hold ourselves to account.

· Discussions are under way with community partners including local voluntary action organisation 3VA and Willingdon Trees Community Centre on devising and delivering creative workshops for adults, artist residencies and creative play sessions for families with young children in Eastbourne’s disadvantaged Shinewater and Seaside communities from Spring 2022.

Speaking out

· Our new Code of Conduct makes public Towner’s commitment to upholding an inclusive environment and the steps we will take to challenge unwanted discriminatory behaviour.

Towner is an actively anti-racist gallery and acts as a leader in the journey towards making Eastbourne and Sussex inclusive and welcoming destinations for everybody to live, work and visit. 

Our guiding principles:

• Black lives matter and we stand united against racism. 

• We acknowledge the pain and injustice caused by systemic racism. 

• We join in solidarity with global anti-racist movements. 

• We know that being anti-racist requires concrete action. 

We report annually on our progress over the previous year and our planned commitments for the year ahead on changing our organisational culture, Towner’s public and community activity, as well as speaking out against racism and advocating for a fair, equal and just society. 

Progress and Activities

• We increased representation on our board of trustees to two Black trustees who live in Eastbourne, one of whom was born and raised in the town. 18% of our board is currently represented by People of Colour.

• In 2020, we set a target to increase representation of People of Colour in the workforce from 10% to 18% by 2024/25. The Annual Staff Survey in 2022 reported 12% of the Towner workforce was from an ethnically diverse background, which shows a slight increase against the benchmark figure of 8% from 2019. 

• We have extended diversity monitoring to include all artists and creative practitioners we are working with and will report on this data in a transparent way in the next report. 

• In October 2022 we engaged Hollie Douglas as the iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) Curatorial Trainee, supporting the Future Collect programme which culminates in an exhibition by an artist of African, Asian or Middle Eastern background.

• We marked Black History Month in October 2022 with screenings of two seminal films exploring black identity:  Fritz Fanon:  Black Skin, White Mask and Daughters of the Dust

• As part of Towner’s commitment to be a community space, we offered free regular meeting space to diverse cultural practitioners, Eastbourne Cultural Involvement Group and Black Creatives Sussex. 

• We have provided free rehearsal space for ethnically diverse artists and creatives to develop and share work, including choreographers/dancers Jean Abreu and Naishi Wang.

The Year Ahead

• Artist Maria Amidu will develop a newly commissioned artwork during 2023 for her exhibition in Spring 2024 at Towner as part of Future Collect, Towner’s partnership with iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts). 

• We will continue promoting work opportunities within the team and artists opportunities to recruitment sources/platforms that attract diverse applicants to improve workforce diversity

Wider Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity work - Progress & Year Ahead

Our Anti-Racism commitments sit within our broader Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan and there is cross-over across in many areas of our EDI work. 

• All team disability inclusion training has been delivered introducing the Social Model of Disability, encompassing inclusive language and practical tips for supporting disabled visitors, staff, volunteers, colleagues and artists. A session for volunteers will be given during 2023 to include unconscious bias awareness training and other broader inclusion issues.

• Accessibility Information is available on the website for all exhibitions and activities within the gallery building providing clear information on what to expect within the space ahead of visiting including physical layout of the space, format, sound/lighting levels, seating available, guides and any resources or equipment available to support all visitors and participants’ experience.

• In July 2022, a partnership with Disabled-led visual arts organisation DASH presented artist Andrea Mindel’s intervention WAR?! WHAT WAR? – How does one achieve eternal bliss? as part of the We are Invisible, We are Visible (WAIWAV) national event.

• A Digital Code of Conduct tailored to social media communications is now available on Towner’s website alongside the Code of Conduct and is linked across all digital platforms. The Code of Conduct will be shared appropriately within the building and exhibitions and on public programme resources. 

• We are developing a consistent and transparent framework for artist and freelancer fees which will be published in during 2023.

• We are working on collecting data and benchmarking the broad diversity of artists and creative practitioners we work with and of collection artists and will report.

• Our recruitment processes have been reviewed to ensure that our roles are open to a wider pool of applicants, particularly by removing third-level qualifications and replacing with skills-based criteria. 

As always, we know that we won’t get everything right immediately and that we still have much to learn. We welcome feedback on the steps we have laid out in this statement. You can get in touch via towner@townereastbourne.org.uk