A new programme of movement, sound and performance is set to enliven Eastbourne and the South Downs this summer as LIVE EDITIONS launches its first series of projects.
Produced and curated by Nikki Tomlinson, the initiative brings together more than 25 artists from Sussex and beyond, with a focus on place-based performance and creative exchange.
Developed over two years of research, LIVE EDITIONS has been shaped through conversations with artists, activists, ecologists and local communities to create opportunities for collaboration and experimentation.
The programme begins in July 2026 with three residencies exploring different approaches to movement and sound in relation to landscape and environment.
Charlie Ashwell’s Working Titles residency at Leaf Hall examines dance as a form of magic and the relationship between language and perception, with an open studio inviting audiences into the creative process.
Ashwell said: ‘I’m interested in the transformative power of titles – words that attach to a dance much like a frame attaches to a picture – producing divergent ways of seeing the same dance. How does language infiltrate perception, so that the same movement lands in different ways with different titles? On the last day of the residency there will be an open studio, an open invitation to audiences to come and explore this work with me. There will also be an invitation for audience members to create their own titles, generating a pool of ways-of-seeing. This relaxed open studio event is open to everyone who would like to come.’
Yanaëlle Ritter’s Shifting Sites residency explores choreography on sand, drawing on outdoor practice and her earlier solo Surfaces, culminating in public sharings on both studio and beach settings.
Carolyn Roy’s Civil Twilight: listening between day and night turns to sound and atmosphere, using analogue radio to explore frequencies from the sky during dawn and dusk in the Downs.
In September, the programme expands with BODY & LAND, a weekend workshop led by Korina Biggs, Mim King, Yumino Seki and Clare Whistler, offering participants a chance to explore movement in relation to the natural environment.
Nikki Tomlinson said: ‘‘I’m delighted to introduce LIVE EDITIONS this summer and to welcome artists and audiences to this experimental programme unfolding across Eastbourne and the nearby South Downs National Park. This initiative has grown out of an extensive period of research and collaboration involving around 60 people locally and further afield and I’d like to thank everyone including artists, partner organisations, and Arts Council England for their generous support. My vision is for LIVE EDITIONS to support the conditions for movement, sound and performance practices to thrive here, and to offer audiences a range of ways to experience exciting live art-making—from watching and listening to playing an active role – both indoors and out. And my hope is that this inaugural programme might be the beginning of something lasting, becoming a vibrant part of cultural life on the south coast.’’
The programme will continue into autumn and early 2027 with further workshops, performances and public events, including contributions from international artists and collaborations with local partners.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
