Next week, as the Turner Prize launches in Eastbourne, we test a hop-on, hop-off bus tour guiding art enthusiasts through the region’s cultural highlights.
As I sit aboard a speeding bus, racing over the rolling hills, an oxbow lake suddenly emerges in my view. Although geography was never my forte, the meandering river’s sharp curves as it flows toward the sea at Cuckmere Haven captivate my full attention. This breathtaking panorama has served as inspiration for artworks by Eric Ravilious and even made appearances in a few Hollywood films.
The Sussex Art Shuttle, officially known as the bus, offers a unique experience that combines stunning landscapes with their artistic representations. This new service, introduced by the business consortium Sussex Modern last weekend and operational until December 17th, connects various cultural destinations. These include Eastbourne’s Towner Gallery, the Seven Sisters Visitor Centre just outside Seaford, the charming villages of Alfriston and Litlington, Charleston (the former residence of artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant), and the new Charleston gallery in Lewes.
The initiative aligns with the Turner Prize, set to commence on September 28th at the Towner, marking the gallery’s centenary year. Joe Hill, CEO of the Towner, and Nathaniel Hepburn, director of Charleston, both accompany me on this journey. Hill mentions, “Visitors arriving by train in Eastbourne also desire to experience the surrounding countryside. The Sussex Downs, among England’s most breathtaking landscapes and its newest national park, are now seamlessly connected to our rich cultural heritage.
Before our departure, Hill swiftly guides me through the Towner’s serene galleries, presently closed ahead of the upcoming Turner Prize exhibition. The four shortlisted artists for the prize, namely Jesse Darling, Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim, and Barbara Walker, employ a diverse array of mediums, including film, drawing, performance, and sculpture. After admiring the gallery’s striking geometric façade, meticulously designed by Lothar Götz, we board the equally vibrant minibus. As we ascend into the national park’s elevated terrain, Hill and Hepburn express their enthusiasm for the region’s historical allure to artists, spanning from the Bloomsbury group to figures like Peggy Angus and Grayson Perry. Moreover, they highlight the ecological fascination of the area, with Hill remarking, “This chalk grassland harbors as much biodiversity as the rainforest.”
Our initial stop is the medieval village of Alfriston, where we disembark at the market cross, one of only two remaining in Sussex. We venture into the Much Ado bookshop, a charming establishment boasting two floors and a delightful “book bower” nestled in the back garden, brimming with affordable volumes. The owners, Nash Robbins and Cate Olsen, originally hailing from Massachusetts and residing here for the past two decades, introduce me to framed Vanessa Bell drawings and rare Victorian scrapbooks.
Although I could easily lose myself in this enchanting place until the next bus arrives in two hours, the allure of lunch beckons us onward. We make our way to The Star, originally constructed as a religious hostel in 1345. Regrettably, we lack the time to explore the nearby Rathfinney vineyard, but I seize the opportunity to sample their highly acclaimed pale pink sparkling wine: dry with a subtle fruity note. The menu offers enticing options such as smoked haddock croquettes, beetroot carpaccio, and chicken Milanese.
Back aboard the 2.28pm bus, our following destination is the secluded Charleston, the historic farmhouse famously frequented by the Bloomsbury group. Coinciding with the Turner Prize on September 23rd, Charleston unveils two new exhibitions. One showcases the works of Osman Yousefzada, a British-born South Asian artist, while the other presents a new Hockney exhibition, revealing rarely-seen early drawings.
Our final stop takes us to Lewes, where a striking new Charleston arts venue recently emerged within a former council office building. In addition to a complimentary exhibition by contemporary artist Jonathan Baldock, the primary exhibition titled “Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and Fashion” delves into the “influence and legacy” of the Bloomsbury group on contemporary fashion. This exhibition encompasses paintings, letters, personal artifacts, and attire from notable figures like EM Forster, John Maynard Keynes, Vanessa Bell, Virginia Woolf, Lady Ottoline Morrell, and Duncan Grant. It also showcases fashion creations by renowned brands such as Dior, Burberry, Erdem, and Fendi, providing a captivating exploration of the interplay between Bloomsbury’s heritage and today’s fashion world.
Curated by fashion writer Charlie Porter, the exhibition is both engaging and instructive, featuring insightful captions, particularly noteworthy for Grant’s sensualized portrayals of his lover, Paul Roche. Afterward, Porter shares with me, “I had in mind the queer, non-binary, and trans communities that have found such a hospitable haven in East Sussex. I aimed to create an exhibition that would bridge the past and the future.”
As the clock strikes 5pm, the final bus of the day awaits. During the one-hour journey back to Eastbourne, I observe sheep grazing while we navigate steep, winding roads, eventually revealing the vast sea outside of Eastbourne.
The resort is abuzz with a series of autumn art-related events, including “Eastbourne Alive,” featuring public artworks and interventions by a dozen artists, from Nadina Ali to Nathan Coley. At the design-oriented Port Hotel, my accommodation for the stay, a display of prints from the collection of Turner sponsor King & McGaw is showcased in the minimalist sea-view bar. The collection includes works by former Turner Prize artists such as Howard Hodgkin, Patrick Caulfield, and Fiona Rae.
The town’s seafront, adorned with palm trees, and its charming backstreets now offer a greater selection of high-quality dining and drinking establishments than I recall from my previous visits. Since the hotel does not serve dinner, my boyfriend and I relish our meal, savoring rustic dishes of crispy-skinned mackerel fillets and succulent local steak at the bustling Skylark, located in the delightful Little Chelsea district. This area boasts a vibrant atmosphere with its cafes, the hybrid record shop and bar known as Vinyl Frontier (35 Grove Road), the live venue Printers Playhouse, and the secondhand bookshop Camilla’s, complete with its resident parrot. In close proximity, you’ll find the local taproom Beerarama and the acclaimed artisan bakery, To The Rise.
What lies ahead for the Art Bus? The aspiration is for it to become a permanent fixture. The Towner is utilizing the project as a trial run for a cultural education center called Black Robin Farm, set to open in the South Downs in 2025, with funding secured from the levelling up fund. Joe Hill explains, “It will be a 30-minute uphill walk from the gallery, and the bus will play a crucial role in providing a visitor-friendly means of transport to get people there – making this a valuable test to gauge public interest.
