Can Brighton and Hove live up to its artistic reputation?

Have you heard about the campaign to bring the Hove Plinth to the seafront? Watch a video and read about the background HERE.

Prue Leith, the prime mover behind the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square has added her support to the Hove Plinth initiative. 

She says: " I am very excited to see that the ideas behind the Fourth Plinth are being taken forward in Hove - a 'Fifth' plinth showcasing sculpture against the backdrop of the sea is a wonderful idea and I congratulate the Hove Civic Society on their  efforts and wish them success in bringing the project to fruition."

Prue Leith was chair of Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce (RSA) when she set in motion the campaign that led to the tremendously successful use of the previously the empty Fourth Plinth for changing displays of contemporary sculpture.

How can you support the Hove Plinth? Help Brighton and Hove protect its artistic and cultural reputation by pledging a donation at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/hove-plinth. The crowd-funding deadline is 5:15pm 11th July 2016.

Local supporters of Hove Plinth say our city needs to promote visual arts in Brighton & Hove in order to maintain our reputation for arts and culture and bring more visitors to the area.

Brighton-based artist and owner of the eponymous Kellie Miller Arts Gallery believes Brighton and Hove needs dynamic new arts initiatives in order to evolve and is strongly supporting the Hove Plinth project.

Ms Miller said: "Brighton and Hove has had too few cultural initiatives over the years and the visual arts are poorly represented. 

“The City needs year-round events for the arts and should not rely only on the May festival and artist-led initiatives like the Open Houses to be its only platform. 

“To attract more visitors, I would prefer an emphasis on cultural as opposed to simply leisure attractions.

“With this in mind, I am proud to support the Hove Plinth campaign and am very excited about the prospect of attracting new public sculpture to the city to inspire us all for years to come.”

Lifetime president of Brighton and Hove Albion football club, Dick Knight, has pledged his support for Hove Plinth and also suggested it will help people view the city as an artistic destination.

He said, “Everyone who loves our seafront should help Hove Plinth become a reality.

“It will be the platform for some stunning creativity in the years to come and always brilliantly remind people – visitor and resident – that our city has unique and lasting style.” 

Rob Starr, the businessman behind the new King Alfred development, has voiced his support for Hove Plinth and his belief that Brighton and Hove is uniquely placed to endorse the arts.

"If anywhere in the country should be promoting art and culture then it is here in Brighton & Hove,” he said. 

“The idea of a plinth on the seafront was inspirational and I am so excited to see it now becoming a reality.

“Residents of Brighton & Hove should all get firmly behind this project, as it is something that not only will we all enjoy, but is a legacy for future generations," Rob Starr, founder of the Starr Trust.

The Hove Plinth crowdfunding campaign is in its final week and has already raised over £10 000 but organisers are urging the public to keep on pledging to help reach the goal of £35 000.

Rewards on offer in return for donations include art materials from Cass Art, sculpture workshops, and preparatory sketches of the first sculptures to be installed on Hove Plinth and many more 

This is a chance to become part of Hove’s history by helping to bring inspiring new sculpture to the seafront and to create a lasting cultural legacy.

What can you do? Help Brighton and Hove protect its artistic and cultural reputation by pledging a donation at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/hove-plinth. The crowd-funding deadline is 5:15pm 11th July 2016.