Projects

Lots of Great Things was an open studio event designed and led by Towner's youth collective Banana Sharks. They explored their independent and collaborative practices by taking over the entire of Towner's ground floor studios and an installation in our huge lift.

The Banana Sharks are supported by artists Dana Brass and Babalola Yusuf to explore their individual creative practices and themes in a safe, supported environment.

During this event, they invited the public to their shared studio space to chat about their practice and to participate in their making processes spanning performance, painting, poetry, photography, costumes, crochet and a makeshift bowling alley.

The group worked in response to Maria Amidu: in the perpetual back and forth, while exploring their own independent themes, including positive mental health, dance, food making, writing, and play. 

Photos by Phoebe Wingrove

About Dana Brass

Dana Brass is an interdisciplinary artist, primarily working with photography, drawing,  painting, and printmaking. Dana is also a psychotherapist and supervisor.

Dana has worked as an artist-facilitator in community organisations, with people of all ages and backgrounds, for over 15 years. In particular, Dana enjoys the group process and facilitation of collaborative work. Originally from the USA, Dana moved to the UK in 1998. Dana has lived in East Sussex since 2006.

About Babalola Yusuf

Babalola Yusuf is a multidisciplinary artist interested in how art can explore intersections, how it is possible for a photograph or the repetition of a phrase or simple imagery to transcend itself. Much like a seed which in specific soil, with specific conditions, begins to unfold up and into light – is it possible through an artwork to exist to both soil and sky, to experience eternity in time? Babalola works with performance, painting, film, photography, sculpture and sound and was on Flatland Projects' Early Careers Programme from 2022/2023.

This event was supported by Iniva Future Collect 

Banana Sharks is delivered with support from The Meads Fund - Sussex Community Foundation and John Jackson Charitable Trust.