‘DOWNSCAPE’

A celebration of children’s creativity inspired by the landscapes of the South Downs.

Downscape was a vibrant celebration of children’s creativity, bringing together poetry, music, art and dance inspired by the unique landscapes of the South Downs in West Sussex.

The project was generously funded by The Bowerman Trust, The Arts Society, The Billingshurst Lions Club and the Susi Beale Award. Four exceptional artists worked with children in ten primary schools, delivering rich, carefully tailored creative experiences. Each school explored its own place within the South Downs, responding through poetry, visual art, music or dance. The result was a remarkable body of work shaped by children’s voices, imagination and sense of place.

“ Downscape”culminated in four concerts at Champs Hill Music Centre, where young poets read their original poems and the school choirs performed new songs written and composed by the children under the guidance of Emily Barden, the accomplished singer and song writer. The collaborative Downscape choir formed especially for the project sang beautiful traditional songs reworked by Emily. The vibrant artwork exhibited in the barn showcased various views of the South Downs as well as stunning paintings depicting the medieval wall paintings in St Botolph’s church in Hardham.

It was clear throughout, that the children were deeply inspired. They grew in confidence, selfesteem and creative ambition, becoming poets, songwriters, artists, dancers and performers through their work with our expert practitioners. Their close observations beyond the classroom, deepened their understanding and appreciation of the special environment in which they live and resulted in some outstanding performances.

A highlight of the celebrations was the premiere of the Downscape film, created by poet and sound artist Antosh Wojcik in collaboration with filmmaker Xenia Glen. This film marks an exciting new direction for our Young Arts work and creatively depicts the process of the whole Downscape project. Every school received a copy of the film so that the Downscape experience could be shared with the wider school community.

You can click here to watch a downloadable version of the Downscape film.

POP UP ART EXHIBITION JULY 2026

The Young Arts Team were delighted to welcome Stewart Collins, Artistic Director of the Petworth Festival, to open the first event of the festival 2026.

Supported by a grant from The Arts Society ,Fittleworth Village Hall was transformed into a vibrant exhibition space alive with colour, imagination and youthful energy.  Artwork from young artists aged four to nineteen from 21 schools filled the hall and attracted hundreds of visitors including proud children and young people and their families. The range and diversity of the artwork demonstrated the creativity, skill and confidence of the young artists.

These works amongst others, sat alongside the evocative David Hockney inspired ‘Downscape’ paintings and 3D ceramic work by Bury Primary School .

Accompanying the artwork, the Downscape film by Xenia Glen and Antosh Wojcik offered a playful, behindthescenes look at the creative process. Click here to watch the film.