Eastbourne Meditation Pods Project

is an associated project with Eastbourne ALIVE, which is a wraparound project for the Turner Prize 2023, taking place at Towner Eastbourne.

about this project

Creating 3 meditation 'pods' ie interactive multi-sensory Art-Installations that will sit at three East Sussex Libraries for the
four months (Oct- Jan) that the Turner Prize is at the Towner Galley Eastbourne. The pods will feature meditation soundscapes and allow anyone using the Libraries to have access to a moment of mindfulness created by young people, as well as promote the Turner Prize. The pods will be designed in collaboration with young people aged 16-24, who have been referred or socially prescribed Art and Wellbeing workshops for their mental health run by an Occupational therapist and myself  and artist with experience of youth work. The subject matter of the meditations will be on important issues facing young people today gathered from Make your Mark, Youth Parliament poll. The three pods are being created and built by Sophie Wright and her Creative Team. The project is in response to East Sussex Council's 'Is it Art' and  associated with ‘Eastbourne Alive'  and Towner gallery Eastbourne, a programme partnership that will be the catalyst for lasting change in Eastbourne by empowering young people to discover their creativity and agency.

Whats most important to you! the youth of East Sussex

Each pod will explore the themes that was voted on in the Make your Mark poll; Jobs, Money, Homes and Opportunities 2,161 votes (sitting at Eastbourne Library) Environment 2,074 votes (sitting at Seaford Library) Education and Learning 2,017 (sitting at Hastings Library). National results; 1st was 'Health and Wellbeing' and that is what is at the heart of this project, links all the pods together.

All these pictures are very rough possible concept ideas for what the Pods/Art-Installations may look like, but are co-designed with the young people and what they produce will influence the final designs. I hope to demonstrate it could be anything. We are in the making process as we speak keep an eye out for updates on the builds.

Each pod will explore the themes that was voted on in the Make your Mark poll; Jobs, Money, Homes and Opportunities 2,161 votes (sitting at Eastbourne Library) Environment 2,074 votes (possibly sit at Seaford or Bexhill Library) Education and Learning 2,017 (sitting at Hastings Library) The pods will be there for the public to have a moment relaxing reflective moment or used as secondary removed access therapy for the general public who can be referred onto services through the libraries or links on the tablet devise where the meditations are accessed with in the pods. Meant by 'pod': it's a semi enclosed structured space that people can relax in, sitting on a beanbag and listen to the soundscapes.