Plans to develop a world-class culture and education centre at Black Robin Farm on the downland above Eastbourne will soon be considered by the South Downs National Park Authority.
Set in the unique landscape of the South Downs, visitors will engage in the cultural heritage of the rolling chalk downland through public artworks in the landscape, exhibitions, creative activities and courses, artist and maker events and a high quality, locally sourced food and drink offer.
The submission of a planning application follows Eastbourne Borough Council’s successful £19.8 million bid to the government’s Levelling Up Fund.
An £11 million investment will realise the council’s vision to transform the former dairy farm into a new eastern gateway to the South Downs, connecting the iconic landmarks of Beachy Head, Birling Gap, Seven Sisters and Cuckmere Haven. Allied to new walking, cycling and sustainable transport routes between the sites, it will provide a coherent visitor offer for the one million national and international visitors to the region each year.
Welcome to Black Robin Farm which will soon be a really exciting artistic and Cultural Center high above eastborn just behind beachy head it will allow thousands of people from eastborn but also the visitors who come here every year who come to this part of the world
To see the Seven Sisters or go down to Berlin Gap a chance to come here and enjoy the open air and enjoy the art that will be here it’ll be a gateway to these wonderful rolling downlands so we’re standing here in what was a working farm on the edge of
Eastborn and what will happen over the next few years this will be transformed into a place for everybody a place for visitors and residents of the town to come get out and wonder in the landscape and enjoy the Fantastic South Downs Countryside so the whole point of this
Place is to get inspiration from nature so here the activists will be using natural materials like chalk Flint natural dyes as well as actually seeing food being grown in the landscape and preparing food and meals as well it’s part of a 20 million pound leveling up bid to the government’s fund
And it will see this reimagined as a place of new learning for our young children and for our young people it will become truly that Eastern Gateway to the southdowns national park that is such an important part of our reputation and our future in eastborn so TOA has a fantastic
Reputation for working with artists but alongside that we’ll have some fabulous new galleries that will allow us to show the best of contemporary and Modern Art up within this landscape artists like Eric ravilious use this landscape as an inspiration you’ll be able to see those fantastic famous paintings in the space
They were actually painted in an important part of the project is to be offering experience and skills for young people we’re delighted to be working with East suage college group to provide apprenticeships courses other opportunities for young people and everybody else thinking about careers in tourism Leisure and the
Arts it is so exciting to be here at black Robin Farm as we start seeing the initial project coming together of a new exciting cultural education attraction on our beautiful South Downs National Park so in this fabulous space we’ll be converting into a refectory style Cafe where people can enjoy some of the
Fantastic produce that’s grown in this area whilst looking at the amazing views down the valley towards the sea there’ll be a wide range of activities up on the site here for families School groups and other groups as well that be coming up here getting inspiration and building Confidence from
Being out in the land landscape also alongside exhibitions public artworks and projects that are happening both in galleries other spaces and out in the landscape as well this fundamentally important project for us is so exciting as we support the hospitality and Retail trade and one of the things we’ll be doing is
Working with Partners to bring about uh new cycle routes new Walking routes and new bus routes to allow those 1 million visitors who Eno our wonderful beachy head and South DS National Park to come and visit the Town Center when it’s finished this place will be a worldclass cultural center and people will come from all over the world to see eastborn at Seaside the toer gallery and then to come up here to these Downs which were actually given to eastborn way back in 1929 I hope very much when it’s done
You’ll come here and enjoy it and we’ll certainly give you a very big Welcome
5 Comments
This is really hopeful for the local area. I've lived and walked this area for 50 years, my main concern is litter. At Beachy Head the bushes are filled with litter the council doesn't clear. My hope is this development will include regular litter groups patrolling and ensuring all the paths this new centre leads to are kept clean. Apart from that, really looking forward to seeing this in person.
An inspired initiative and development.. as an artist and psuedo naturalist it's definitely a thumbs up from me.. good luck everyone…
Exciting times! Fingers crossed the next step will be to create a town museum. Tourism would greatly benefit from displaying our fantastic history, instead of paying storage for the many artifacts.
This is a wonderful opportunity for an educational and artistic hub for Eastbourne and surrounding area. The development must take account of the necessary infrastucture to deal with increased visitor numbers, traffic and the protection of the environment – this is vital and must all be 'built in' to the planning.
A great initiative, which will rely on the quality of the surrounding downland landscape for inspiring artists and visitors alike. The video highlights the built environment and some of the exciting work to be done there, but this must be done in parallel with some serious restoration of the Eastbourne Downs. The land has been much abused due to agricultural policy and practice, with intensive farming damaging the landscape, cultural heritage and wildlife of the area. £20 million will make a big difference – with 10% for restoring the landscape … please.