Morag Myerscough Brings Message of Hope for the Arts in Support of #BringBackBrightonDome 


Award-winning visual artist Morag Myerscough and cartoonist Steve Bell have contributed artwork in support of our #BringBackBrightonDome Crowdfunder campaign.

Morag previously worked with Brighton Festival in 2018 on the community 'Belonging' bandstand on the seafront and was invited to make a bold new artwork to amplify the essential need for art in our lives. Titled 'Art is our expression and our sunlight', the colourful design can be seen on Brighton Dome's New Road hoardings. The work is also being produced as a signed, hand-made screen print available to buy, with proceeds going to the #BringBackBrightonDome appeal. 

Morag Myerscough commented:

“I love Brighton and I was so excited when I was asked to create this new artwork for the #BringBackBrightonDome campaign. My work is rooted in creating a sense of joy and belonging and I have always felt strongly that we need art in every form to stimulate us and transport us from the everyday, especially at this time, it feels essential for our wellbeing. I hope anyone walking past the mural or hanging my print on their wall will feel that the arts have a positive future are essential and we must help to make sure that the arts have a positive future.”

Together with the Brighton Festival archive prints we have also just released the 1998 Festival artwork by caricaturist Steve Bell, renowned for his satirical cartoons in The Guardian newspaper. Bell’s illustration features a lively cityscape with famous Brighton & Hove characters including the Prince Regent and will be signed by the artist.

Bell’s print joins David Shrigley’s drawing from 2018; Brighton tattoo artist Adam Sage and design agency Johnson Banks’ artwork for poet and musician Kae Tempest’s 2017 festival; a firework display image from 1988 by Australian pop artist Martin Sharp (1942-2013) and a 1972 image of Brighton palace pier by an unknown artist.

Following Brighton Dome’s closure in March and the cancellation of Brighton Festival, the arts charity lost 67% of its self-generated income through ticket sales and events.With the continued uncertainty around when large-scale live events might return, the 1,800 capacity Concert Hall is only able to consider vastly reduced attendances of social distanced performances and the Corn Exchange and Studio Theatres are undergoing major refurbishment until autumn 2021.

We are enormously grateful to everyone who has donated to the campaign so far and we have raised our target to £50,000, every penny will help towards the additional £250,000 we need to raise in the next year. 

Prints are available to buy here.

Morag Myerscough, Art is our expression and sunlight A2 signed screen print, edition of 100, £150

Steve Bell, Brighton Festival brochure 1998, A3 signed giclee print, edition of 100, £85  

The hoarding project has been supported by Dulux as part of the #TrueColours social movement which celebrates acts of kindness that are adding colour to people’s lives.

Thanks to local fine art screen printers, The Private Press who have hand-made the artworks in their Brighton studio and GF Smith, makers of fine quality paper for donating premium stock to produce a high-quality finish.