In 2019, local residents, husband-and-wife duo Tim and Diana Birch, conceived an idea to transform the Bexhill-on-Sea railway station footbridge into a colourful public open-air art gallery.

 

The aim of the project was to create a positive and lasting impact on the local area, in a location which has fallen into disrepair in recent years, while making art and Bexhill-on-Sea more visible, accessible and inspiring for the local community.

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In March 2021, the first Footbridge Gallery was created to inspire creativity in a post-pandemic world. The project has provided a valuable outlet to foster diversity and support mental health by providing a purpose-led and inclusive community initiative. It encouraged Rother and Hastings residents to submit artworks across a range of different media, including photography, painting, knitting, sculpture, and even sound.

 

As promised, the biennial competition took place early in 2023. The public response was even more overwhelming, with well over two hundred and fifty artworks submitted from people of all ages. The winning entries have been digitally printed onto graffiti-proof vinyl and applied to the wall of the footbridge. As you can see, the quality of submissions was, once again, incredibly high - this is a testament to the depth and local creative talent in our community.

 

Footbridge Gallery 2.0 ‘Connections’ continued the story of the Footbridge Project. A very special thanks goes to those creative people who entered their excellent works; without you, there would be no Footbridge Gallery. Footbridge Gallery 2.0 was brought to you by Footbridge Project team - Diana and Tim Birch, Elise Liversedge, Joan Thurgar and Lee Parkin.

 

Footbridge Gallery 3.0 is on the horizon; it launches as a competition on 03 October, and this time the theme is ‘100’, so let your imagination run free and share your vision with us. If your work is selected by the public and our judges, you will be seen for at least two years and thousands of people as they pass through Footbridge Gallery 3.0. The Gallery will be live on the footbridge late February 2026.

 

Footbridge Gallery 3.0 will be brought to you by Footbridge Project team - Diana and Tim Birch, Joan Thurgar and Lee Parkin.