Look back at 2018: A year-long celebration of Brighton's community
We’ve loved 2018 here at Brighton Dome. We are proud to have worked with our city’s diverse communities and hosted so many incredible events with and for the people of Brighton & Hove. Here are just a few highlights...
To support the next generation of Brighton & Hove’s musical talent, we held an incredible eight-hour music marathon! Organised by Brighton & Hove Music and Arts (BHMA), the event was a celebration of young musicians across the city and helped fundraise for their encore initiative. A total of 158 young people performed a wide range of musical genres, styles, instruments and songs. Thank you to all who donated, we raised a grand total of £9,455 from everyone who supported this event.
Read a Q+A with Bec Britain (project manager of Music Marathon).
This year, we welcomed the return of Black History Family Day, a celebration of cultures and heritage. The day began with a spectacular opening ceremony featuring the incredible Maractau Cruzeiro do Sul from Brazil. Visitors had the opportunity to learn new dance routines, listen to stories and participate in creative workshops.
Read our blog to discover more.
Marking 20 years of Refugee Week, Sanctuary on Sea brought Brighton & Hove communities together. It aimed to unite people from around the city to celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK, and provide a chance for people to connect, explore and learn.
Kicking the day off, Caroline Lucas MP walked the Hummingbird Project’s Refugees Welcome parade, in collaboration with Same Sky. There was an Iranian/Kurdish music workshop, a book reading with former Vietnamese refugee Hong Dam, film screenings, performances and art workshops and more.
Learn more about the event here.
To celebrate our heritage, we ran behind-the-scene tours for visitors to discover the history of Brighton Dome. The day included a rare peek into our Corn Exchange theatre, which gave visitors a glimpse into the extensive renovation project which will restore breath-taking and previously hidden heritage features. Additionally, Maxine Hort (Director of Operations, Brighton Dome and Festival) offered an overview of our renovations. We were delighted to offer live music and heritage craft activities for our youngest visitors.
Discover more about our heritage here.
International Women’s DayIn March we hosted Brighton Women’s Centre and Brighton Museum's celebration of International Women's Day. A specially curated programme of inspiring speakers and activists exploring beauty standards, gender equality, the representation of women in arts and the music industry, women in Brighton’s history and LGBTQ+ stories. The event also featured workshops delving into various topics including body positivity and confidence as well as photography, art and textile exhibitions.
Miss Represented: Generation Now
Miss Represented is an arts collective of young women who face challenging life situations. The collective explores life through the arts, making powerful work for personal development and social change. To document their work, the collective created and screened a documentary sharing their transformational journey. Additionally, they shared performances exploring what it means to be a young woman part of Generation Now.
Learn more
School's Christmas ConcertBrighton & Hove Music and Arts held their annual concert with over 1200 voices from schools across the city coming together to sing Christmas favourites and original songs at Brighton Centre. For the first time, Orchestra 360, an inclusive ensemble for young people with Special Educational needs and disabilities joined the choir. Brighton & Hove Youth Wind Orchestra and Hove Youth Big Band also performed.
Listening to the Unheard + The Homeless Library
In June, a day of discussions explored the experiences of rough sleepers and travellers in the city and around the UK. Contributing to the conversation were front-line support workers, policy makers and researchers, including participants from Brighton & Hove City Council, Brighton Housing Trust and the Mass Observation Archive.
The Homeless Library was an exhibition curated by arthur+martha held at Brighton Dome in July. It featured a unique collection of books handmade by homeless people in Great Manchester reflecting on their lives and history.
To find out about Listening to the Unheard, head to our blog here.
Homeless Library from arthur+martha on Vimeo.
To celebrate World Poetry Day in March, we presented the world’s first mobile poetic first aid service! Poet and writer Deborah Alma, brought poetry to the people of Brighton & Hove in a 1970s ambulance to bring awareness of the therapeutic nature of the written word.
To discover more about Emergency Poems, read our blog here.