Painted Pianos

Suzanne Bird on HIP’s latest community engagement project

Hastings International Piano is committed to artistic excellence and nurturing young musicians, but also to making the competition relevant to Hastings by supporting music enjoyment and engagement here.  The charity works hard to bring benefits to Hastings and beyond through its Learning & Participation programme, making the power of music and exposure to the arts available to everyone.  Its range of activities engages local communities, showcasing local talent and overcoming barriers to music participation.  HIP’s new initiative brings together all of these aims.  

Put simply, this year’s new project involves a trio of Painted Pianos, created by and made available to the local community.  The project involves three community groups working with artists and members of their communities to transform three upright pianos into colourful, playable pieces of art.  Once completed, the painted pianos will be placed in public spaces and available for anyone to create music on throughout the Hastings International Piano Competition, from 26th February to 7th March. 

Arts on Prescription 

Local artist Marta Munoz is excited to be involved in this project along with designer and joiner Bart Long.  They are decorating a piano with  Arts on Prescription, a wellbeing charity that supports people struggling with their mental health.  People are referred to the organisation via NHS social prescribers or GPs, and their website states that, ‘art has the ability to heal, unify and edify individuals and communities.’   

Arts on Prescription provides confidence-building workshops and creative activities including Marta’s YOYO Art Club for children and families.  Marta is thrilled to bring such an exciting real life project to the group, with the finished piano to be displayed at Tesco Extra in St Leonards for thousands of shoppers to enjoy.  I asked Marta what most excites her about this project and she said, ‘We are already a strong community group, so working together will be a delight, and we have some brilliant little artists on board.  They are eager to get going!’ 

Seaview  

Sophie Malpas (photo at the top of the page) is another artist who has generously agreed to give her time and creative energy to the project.  Sophie will work with clients at Seaview Project, the St Leonards-based wellbeing centre which offers practical help, advice and support to those who are marginalised and most at risk.  When I asked Sophie what made her want to be involved with this project and to work with Seaview, she said, ‘I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Seaview, as they do extraordinary work supporting people in our community.  The Painted Piano project is about bringing people together through creativity and I'm particularly excited to explore colour as a way of expressing joy and connection.’   

The piano is based at Seaview's open access wellbeing centre in St Leonards, which has operated a range of outreach services since 1985, offering both support services and healthy or creative activities.  All their clients have been invited to take part in Painted Pianos workshops with Sophie - and Toni, another artist facilitator who has a good working relationship with the service users.  Sophie will utilise some techniques from HIP’s ongoing Sounds of Creativity project, designed to encourage people to create freely and see art as something for everyone, that can boost mindfulness and self-esteem.  The completed Seaview piano will be displayed at Hastings Station to brighten every traveller’s journey through the busy transport hub.  After that, the plan is for it to be donated to Seaview, with the ambition for a longer project where service users can play the piano, or even have piano lessons. 

Project Art Works 

The final collaboration is with  Mark Lockton, one of the artists based at the Turner-shortlisted  Project Art Works, an artist collective of neurodiverse artists, families and circles of support.  They are proud that what they do ‘intersects art and care, responding to neurodivergence, its gifts and impacts.’  In their studios, artists can work on their own or collaboratively, always taking part on their own terms. Their most recent exhibitions have been at a temporary gallery and creative hub at 12 Claremont in Hastings, so it seems fitting that this finished piano will be displayed just around the corner and on the seafront at Source Park.  

Part of the Bigger Picture 

Rosa Amor is HIP’s Learning & Development Co-ordinator, and she is the driving force behind the community outreach work that includes this project.   This work relies entirely on funding from Trusts and Foundations, and supporters’ donations.  Painted Pianos is no exception, being funded by a gift from an anonymous donor and funds HIP raised during last year’s Big Give fundraising drive.  

Rosa says, ‘I’m thrilled that we’re able to bring our Painted Pianos project to life.  Working on a creative project like this will enable participants from three different community groups to access their own creativity in new and unexpected ways, collaborating with professional artists to create beautiful artwork that we can all enjoy.’   

If you’d like more information about HIP’s Learning & Participation programme and how you could support them, please email Rosa Amor. 

‘ ‘I’m thrilled that we’re able to bring our Painted Pianos project to life.  Working on a creative project like this will enable participants from three different community groups to access their own creativity in new and unexpected ways, collaborating with professional artists to create beautiful artwork that we can all enjoy.”

Rosa Amor, Learning & Development Co-ordinator, HIP