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We help artists get
FREE OPPORTUNITIES
by curating bespoke pop-up shows.
We help as many different creatives as possible by organising as many different shows as possible. Each event has a focus on a different artistic discipline but with the same attitude of keeping it free for the artists to take part.
We've been there, we know what its like to be a struggling artists and that why we set up Pop-Up Brighton to help artists get their name and work out.
We are a not-for-profit business and as such are reliant on donations from our followers in order to keep offering artists opportunities.
So if you've ever been to a Pop-Up Brighton show, are passionate about young artistic talent or would just like to help the cause then please donate.
HELP US, HELP ARTISTS
We have helped
OVER 2000 ARTISTS
get free opportunities and
free exposure
by curating
OVER 40 SHOWS
Since we started in 2011 we have curated over
40 unique shows helping over 2000 creatives,
each show has been designed to help different
artists, performers and musicians.
THE HISTORY OF POP-UP BRIGHTON
Founder Ashleigh started Pop-Up Brighton in 2011. As a practising artist himself he found applying for group shows in Brighton was expensive with submission fees, exhibiting charges and even commission fees on top of it. As a penniless artist he couldn't afford this so he decided to put on his own exhibition, anyone could submit, exhibit and attend for free.
Having only moved to Brighton that year he didn't have a network of artists but after putting out a call for submissions
received contact from over 40 illustrators within 2 weeks! The first group shows were exhibited in an empty unit on Brighton sea front called ZERO and NO1. From the initial success of these 2 shows the artists where eager to do more, feeling like there was a real need for free artistic opportunities in Brighton he decided to continue helping artists and putting on exhibits.
2011 (THE BEGINNING)
somewhereto_
Our journey with somewhereto_ started right back at the beginning of Pop-Up Brighton. Finding empty spaces for exhibitions during the height of the recession proved difficult but then we found out about somewhereto_. A project helping young people aged 16-25 get free space for creative use, so we got in touch and they gave us our first space on the sea front. But that wasn't all, the years to come somewhereto_ just kept giving. In 2012 Ashleigh got asked to curate shows in London including John Lewis at Graffik Gallery on Portobello Road (see adolescence). In 2012 we started up SoundScreen by with help from somewhereto_.
Then in 2014 we were asked to deliver somewhereto_ in Brighton. This meant that we could help other people get spaces for their projects and we could organise more projects for people to get involved in. (see Summer / FRAMED / It Is What It Is / Pop-Up Gallery etc)
2012 (THE GROWTH)
After the success of the first pop-up at the end of 2011 the word about Pop-Up Brighton was starting to get around and we met some amazing people that year including Flavia Aliverti (Foreign Skin) who pitched an idea of doing an audio / visual show where we pair together video artists and musicians to produce a live audio visual show. We called this show SoundScreen which turned out to be a sell-out show every time. Growing from an audience of 100 to 530 in 3 years. This show is now supported by Brighton Dome.
We also met Matt Weston from Spacemakers who helped us get our first venue for SoundScreen through his job at somewhereto_.
He also came up with the idea of starting up a Bring Your Own Beamer in Brighton. We worked together on the project and held the first BYOB in Brighton Dome in 2012, now it is an annual show which gets bigger and bigger each year.
2014 (THE BOOST)
2014 started off with a contract to deliver somewhereto_ in Brighton. Very exciting news, this meant Ashleigh could put all his energy in helping young artists full time.
This meant there was a huge boost in the amount of events that we produced and our network grew. We met lots of new people including a key member of the future of Pop-Up Brighton Becky Bick. From helping her get a space as a somewhereto_ user she then worked closely with us on many other events.
2014 was also our biggest show to date. In an abandoned warehouse we put on a 3 day exhibition called Summer. Exhibiting over 100 artists and including a full program of workshops and performances. The event was very successful with over 1000 people attended the opening night. Caroline Lucas (Green MP) came along and Lighthouse Gallery both gave it glowing reviews.
2015 (THE YEAR LONG POP-UP)
For the whole of 2015 we had a permanent space in the North Laine area. We called this shop It Is What It Is. Any artists, collective or entrepreneur could use the shop for free they just had to pitch their ideas and if we thought they were passionate and driven enough to run the shop then they would take it for a week to make their own. We had 52 projects in the space helping 219 artists in one year.
NOW (AND FOREVER)
Pop-Up Brighton has flourished since the small beginnings in an empty shop on the seafront in 2011. We are constantly growing and evolving to help as many different creatives as possible. November 2016 was our 5 year anniversary which marked our 50th event helping over 2000 people for free.
As we grow and develop our ethos will always remain.
We want to support local artists by giving them opportunities and exposure for free in as many different type of shows as possible.
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