EASTBOURNE.- The current national lockdown is impacting everyone - none more so however than those in our community who are surviving on low incomes or who are vulnerable and self-isolating.

Eastbourne Borough Council, Eastbourne Food Bank and Community Stuff are providing a lifeline to vulnerable households, ensuring that help is delivered to those most in need. While they are working hard to provide essential food and other essential items, Towner Eastbourne has joined forces with these groups and provide creative kit bags – filled with sketchbooks, drawing equipment and brightly coloured pencils.

An initiative driven by Towner’s new Learning Team – Esther Collins and Willow Mitchell – the gallery are also delivering further creative kits to carers through the Association of Carers and to refugees and asylum seekers through Eastbourne NetworX.

The recyclable paper bags also include ideas for relaxation and inspiration to encourage everyone to get creative at home - and help make life just a little bit better during the difficult times we live through. They also include a pre-stamped postcard which recipients can send back to Towner to keep in touch and to share what they have made using the kits.

The bags have been specially designed by friend of Towner, Fraser Muggeridge Studios, in Towner’s trademark cobalt blue, also synonymous for so many with the NHS.

“We hope that the kits will encourage people to get creative and that they will be enjoyed by all who get one. It has been great to work with our partners across the town on this initiative and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with these groups and other partners and communities across Eastbourne when the gallery opens again soon. We have also included a blank postcard for people to send us their art works to keep in touch with us and share with us what they have made – I look forward to receiving these and seeing all the wonderful artworks!” said Esther Collins, Head of Learning, Towner Eastbourne

“As a team we believe strongly that art and creative activity can improve people’s health and wellbeing and we wanted to do something tangible for the households of Eastbourne that will be hardest hit by this crisis.” added Joe Hill, Director, Towner Eastbourne

Towner are also working on free online activities for all, which began earlier this month. Under the tagline #makeshiftstudio and on the Instagram page @hello_towner, Towner’s team have been posting out a simple task or challenge each week, inspired each week by one of the 5000 works in the gallery’s Collection.

Each is designed to be possible with a range of basic household objects and materials: things you might have in the house already without having to go out to an art shop or search further than your own domestic setting to locate. So far makers have created tents, flags and other creations from materials as varied as rugs, skateboards and balloons. A series of #makeshiftstudio Facebook workshops are planned for later in Spring which will also be suitable for all ages to take part in.