BA Hons History of Art and Design student Sally Lawrence on being on placement at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft

Fig 1. View of Corita Kent: Get with the Action. Ditchling Museum of Art+ Craft. Author’s own photograph.

On 5th May 2018, a very rousing new exhibition opened at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft. Corita Kent: Get with the action uses film, her personal correspondence and  screen prints, including some that have never before been shown in Britain, to explore the life and work of this fascinating lady. Corita Kent (1918-1986) was an American Roman Catholic Nun, teacher and artist who believed in the power of art to create a sense of togetherness and to elicit social change. She worked in America in the 1960s and was heavily influenced by Pop Art, particularly by the work of Andy Warhol. This year at Ditchling, Corita has influenced a very exciting new project.

Fig 2: Morag Myerscough. Belonging Bandstand, Brighton Sea Front. Author’s own Photograph.

I recently had the opportunity to undertake a placement at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft as part of my degree, for the second year ‘Behind the Scenes’ module. I arrived at a particularly busy time: they were not only preparing their brilliant new exhibition (Fig 1.), but they were also embarking on a very innovative project, inspired by Corita Kent, that involved creating a piece of art and design that inspires and explores notions of belonging. Designer Morag Myerscough, with the help of a plethora of school, community and university groups, put together a travelling bandstand (see Fig. 2), which will help bring communities together through art and music. Myerscough’s bandstand is topped with a crown of placards designed by groups including the University of Brighton, DV8 in Bexhill, Diverse Crawley and Ditchling Primary School. With each new location the bandstand will have a new crown (see Fig. 3) that represents the local community and will host different performers each location.

Fig 3. Morag Myerscough. Belonging Bandstand, Brighton Sea Front. Author’s own Photograph.

Where the bandstand will be this summer:

19^th-20^thMay- Brighton Festival, Your Place, Hangleton

26^th-27^thMay- Brighton Festival, Your Place, East Brighton

7^th-9^thJune- South of England Show

4^th-10^thJuly Crawley Festival

22^nd-27^thAugust- Newhaven Festival of Belonging

1^st-9^thSeptember- Coastal Current Arts Festival, Hastings

17^th– 23^rdSeptember- Ditchling.

You can also see more of Morag Myerscough’s work in a display at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, alongside Corita Kent: Get with The Action, until 14th October 2018.

Fig 4. Morag Myerscough and Luke Morgan. The Sign Machine. 2017. Author’s own photograph. Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft.