Our Place Moulsecoomb and Bevendean
Artist in Residence Bringing Art to the Residents
The sun was shining over Moulsecoomb last Saturday as we opened the doors at Moulsecoomb Place for Our Place – Moulsecoomb and Bevendean.
With the community fun day and exhibition coming to life both inside and out on the lawn, it was clear from the very start that it was set to be a truly special afternoon.
In 2017, Brighton Festival Guest Director and artist Kae Tempest launched Your Place – a project aimed at bringing the Festival into local communities across Brighton & Hove, especially to those where cultural and artistic events might be less accessible.
By 2019, Your Place evolved into Our Place, thanks to a collaboration between Brighton Festival, Brighton People’s Theatre, and a committed team of volunteers. Steering groups were established in Hangleton & Knoll and East Brighton, supported by local community organisations. Moulsecoomb and Bevendean joined the Our Place programme in 2021. As of 2025, all of these communities continue to play an active role as Our Place partners.
Each spring, an Artist in Residence is chosen for each area and collaborates with the Our Place steering groups to develop innovative, inclusive projects that place community participation at their core. These creative journeys always lead to a celebratory community fun day during Brighton Festival, and this year Amber Gibbins was chosen as the artist for Our Place Moulsecoomb & Bevendean.
Amber, who lives on the Bates Estate, has spent the last few months collaborating with North Brighton communities through interactive sculpture and art making with the Seeds of Change project, inviting participants to explore themes of growth, resilience, and sustainability, while actively engaging underrepresented communities and those who often face barriers to accessing the arts.
Through a series of hands-on creative workshops, participants reflected on their hopes for a stronger, more connected community, and with Amber leading the workshops, natural and air-dry clay were used to craft sculptures embedded with real seeds. Each sculpture served as a vessel for personal and shared intentions, marked with words and designs to express what participants wished to nurture in their lives and within their community.
Last Saturday, a vibrant display of sculptures—created by local residents aged 6 to 86 were showcased at Moulsecoomb Place. The exhibition also featured an activity station, running additional clay workshops and a collection of community artwork, celebrating creativity across generations.
Meanwhile, the lawn at Moulsecoomb Place was buzzing with free, family-friendly activities from the Gladrags dress-up tent to the brilliant Brighton Table Tennis Club along with badge-making, a silent disco, and free snacks and drinks.
One of the highlights of the day was the planting ceremony, where community members came together to plant their seed-filled clay sculptures in the grounds, with each one a unique expression of hope, care, and connection.
Later, it was great to catch up with Amber and hear more about this inspiring journey as Artist in Residence. “One of my main challenges was finding the groups to work with for the workshops. As a working-class, neurodivergent, queer, disabled, person of colour, my journey into the arts has not been a traditional one. It was rewarding to be able to work with others who, like myself, face multiple barriers to the arts, and often don’t have access to creative opportunities.
Amber spoke about how the Lighthouse Young Creatives Mentorship Programme helped to improve their confidence as an artist.
“I did a VR piece and being paired with a mentor and collaborating with others in the group meant I became more connected to the creative people and spaces in the city. It gave me the confidence to say ‘I belong in this space’ after feeling like I didn’t belong for such a long time. Ultimately, it gave me the confidence to apply to be Artist in Residence.”
Reflecting on the day, Amber spoke about resilience and growth.
“A huge part of being a creative is being rejected and being able to pick yourself up and keep going, something I have experienced many times. That’s given me resilience, and that’s a good thing because without resilience I wouldn’t have applied for this, meaning I wouldn’t be here talking to you now,”
“The day went really well, and although there were challenges along the way, the weather was on our side, and the day went smoothly. It was lovely seeing the community come out to celebrate and all the wonderful creations the kids added to the exhibition.”
Speaking with genuine pride about working alongside the local steering group and the many residents who joined the workshops, as well as the community fun day, Amber’s connection to the community and the care brought to the project are evident in every detail. She is truly an inspiring artist.