Our upcoming events
THE SUSSEX 2025
Join us at the fourth year of our annual major exhibition, THE SUSSEX 2025
The hang has been selected and we are delighted to share that we have 225 artworks that will be part of the exhibition opening on the 8th of November.
We head back to Newhaven and The Marine Workshops in Railway Quay. This stunning building was initially constructed in 1882 to house several engineering workshops and was used to repair train and ship engines.
We will reside on the top floor during the 2025 exhibition in November 2025.
The theme for THE SUSSEX 2025 is
L'art de la vie quotidienne: art of everyday life
The judges have excelled themselves, the hang will excite and encourage the viewers to ask questions about what contemporary genre art represents in 2025.
8th - 30th November 2025 Thursday - Sunday 10 am - 4 pm
Art Of The Body
A curated day of blissful self indulgence. Artelium Wine will be running a paid for bar, grab a delicious glass of vintage Sussex wine, from vine to table. Beth from Indigo Forever Tattoos will also have a pop-up booth with flash hand-poked designs available, prices vary per design. Felicity founder of Menteath, the smoke infused Sussex neuro-skincare brand, joins us with her beautiful range of products and her mini treatment parlour, indulge in a mini massage. Rosi aka Raw Solace Jewellery will have her beautiful handmade hammered brass jewellery offerings for purchase as well.
Collaged Christmas Card Workshop
Come and enjoy a playful, relaxed collage workshop with local artist Maja Jones where you will create either a single or a few collaged Christmas card(s).
The workshop will run for approximately 2 hours and all materials will be provided for you. This workshop costs £25 per person and there are 12 places available.
Mamoosh cafe is on the same floor as the workshop, please arrive early if you want to purchase any snacks or refreshments from the cafe, before the workshop starts. There is also an accessible toilet on the same floor.
Foraged Christmas Wreath Workshop
Join us for a lovely workshop with florist Bryony May, where you will be creating your own wreath from a collection of foraged foilage, found within 5 miles of the venue.
The Land We Live Within
DITCHLING
We return to Ditchling Barn for ArtWave 2025, extending it outwards with a hardstanding, temporary exhibition space. Jo has been developing innovative pop-up gallery walling to bring the Sussex Contemporary experience to this village of global creative importance.
Nestled in the heart of the South Downs, next to the Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft. The Barn is central to village life and community; we are delighted to return for a second time in 2025, showcasing a new and innovative way of using this historic space.
RESPONSE
A single size for all entries, created onto a supplied A5 canvas-covered board. All mediums have been welcomed and encouraged to participate.
The Land We Live Within asked the artists to respond to the way they live within the landscapes we occupy in this moment of time.
ARTWAVE
Community With Creativity Since 1993
Artwave is the annual festival of artists and makers in the Lewes District. Hundreds of creatives exhibit yearly in Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven, and the surrounding villages.
The event allows art lovers to discover new work, meet artists and makers, and buy directly from them. In 2024, an estimated 53,000+ people visited Artwave over the three weeks of the festival.
As part of the Rural Trail, the Barn is hosting two presentations: The Pond House, which had previously shown in Isfield, and The Land We Live Within.
UNDOINGS
Undoings explores works on the threshold between the made and unmade.
This exciting national open-call exhibition invites UK-based makers, artists, and craftspeople to respond to the theme UNDOINGS. Our ambition is to present work by contemporary UK creatives that responds to the theme and identifies a shared aesthetic.
The selection panel will focus on ‘handmade' artworks and structures. The works the panel will look for can be created using simple, repetitive actions, such as repetitive mark-making, crochet, plaiting, weaving, and winding, as well as stringing, shredding, binding, and crumpling.
THE BARN ON THE GREEN - Ditchling
Sussex Contemporary Presents:
The Barn on The Green
IN DITCHLING
Ditchling has a special place in our hearts here at Sussex Contemporary. In 2023, Jo became a Trustee Director at the Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, and in March 2025, she was appointed Chair after serving as interim for six months.
We were overjoyed with last year’s venue in Ditchling, which drew over 2,000 visitors across the two weekends we hosted in the beautiful and historic barn on the green.
As with our other Arts Festival shows, we continue to present artists and makers from various disciplines over two weekends.
Jo has curated both weekends and is delighted to invite you to visit us.
WEEKEND ONE: 17/18 May 2024 11 am — 5 pm
Jubal Prevette Carpenter, wood turner, wood worker.
31 Links Pottery and basketry.
Deb M John Potter, gardener, beekeeper.
Rowena Park Working with clear acrylic, transparent colours and gold leaf to create modern colourful handmade acrylic jewellery.
Anna Prizzy Designer and printmaker based in West Sussex
Working on versatile creative projects exploring texture, shape and colour.
Phoebe Kirk Surface pattern designer. Freelance illustrator.
Francesca Bray Paintings | Printmaking | Textiles Inspired by wild places, motherhood, Flora & Fauna prints
WEEKEND TWO: 24/25 May 2024 11 am —5 pm
Jubal Prevette Carpenter, wood turner, wood worker.
Liz Padgham-Major ‘The Accidental Stitcher’
Hand-embroidered wearable and wall art, sustainably made with a narrative of nature and symbols.
Pippa Honess, Ceramic artist in West Sussex specialising in smoke firing
HANNAH ISSI Beautiful Organic Cotton Homeware, Fabrics & Accessories
Lynn Hanford-Day, Heart-centred inspirational coach, sacred geometry artist.
Danni Beach: Small-batch, sometimes spiky ceramics.
Cellan Maker and creator. Mostly focused on ceramics right now.
GPTD season 5
Rowena Park works with clear acrylic, transparent colours and gold leaf to create modern colourful handmade acrylic jewellery.
Pagette Silver Jewellery Handmade in the UK, inspired by the forest & ocean.
Anna Prizzy, Designer and printmaker based in West Sussex
Working on versatile creative projects exploring texture, shape and colour.
Amy Frankie Smith Porcelain lights and expressive paintings.
MEANDER: Land + Water
MEANDER: Land + Water
Come and see this exciting new exhibition format in NEWHAVEN this MARCH
Our Creative Director, Jo Myles, felt we had a space in our schedule of exhibitions for a democratic exhibition open-call that responds to the theme MEANDER: Land + Water.
Entries opened in November 2024, and we have been blown away by the response from Sussex-linked artists who have responded to be part of this exciting project.
Democratic means artists and makers secure their automatic place in the exhibition without a selection panel, judges, or prizes. Jo will curate the works on site, believing that a well-curated exhibition in a beautiful space allows any work to sing and shine collectively.
All works are for sale, with 70% of the sale price going directly to the artist.
We aim to present the biggest exhibition of Sussex-linked artists and makers possible in one beautifully curated exhibition. We can't wait to receive the work and get hanging!
We return to the beautiful BN9 STUDIO this March, managed by the ever-brilliant @creativenewhaven
Open to the public:
1st 2nd 7th 8th 9th 14th 15th March 2025 10 am - 4 pm
BN9 STUDIO, Marine Workshops, Newhaven, BN9 OER
Newhaven Christmas Fair
IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME…
We can’t wait for you to join us at our first-ever Sussex Contemporary Christmas Fair.
Jo has been running makers markets for several years over at Flo Road Market in Brighton and she’s bringing her trusty troop of talented makers, craftspeople, and artists to Newhaven this December.
Make your money count by buying directly from the person who made the beautiful gifts with their hands. Support small creatives and make your gifting really meaningful this Christmas.
SATURDAY 7TH DECEMBER 2024
10am - 5pm
FREE ENTRY - FREE PARKING - FABULOUS MAKERS
Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft
Heidi Westgate
Sussex Ceramics Fair
Join us for an amazing pop-up celebrating the talented ceramicists based in Sussex
The Sussex 2024
The Sussex Contemporary Exhibition 2024 opens to the public on Saturday 12th October and runs on selected days only during October.
Newhaven Artwave Fair
Join us for the most exciting and newest po-up Artwave venue of 2024
Artwave 2nd Weekend
We are back at Plumpton Racecourse with the largest venue in the Artwave Festival for a second weekend. Free parking, train station, bar and food. Plus around 40 Sussex artists and makers with some amazing work to view and purchase.
Artwave 1st Weekend
We are back at Plumpton Racecourse with the largest venue in the Artwave Festival: free parking, a train station, bar, and food.
30 Sussex artists and makers with some amazing work to view and purchase from
Lewes Textiles Fair
Our Creative Director Jo has curated a wonderful collection of artists and makers who use textiles in their work
Newhaven Artists & Makers Market
Our second market as part of Newhaven’s Look Again Supergraphics Festival. This curated event will showcase artists and makers that specifically use typography, illustrative techniques and graphics in their work.
Newhaven Food Market
A curated food market in Newhaven between 9am - Noon on Saturday 28th June