Occupy Hasting: Initial Town Visit

‘Occupy Hastings’ the title of the Term One brief this year seeks to encourage students to engage with current events; in both considering the nature of the Occupy Movement, in a climate of increasing public protest in the UK and abroad. Hastings has a History of protests, from the Fishermen opposing fishing quotas set by the EU, to the recent protests about the Jerwood Art Gallery being built on the Stade.

We started the term with a visit to Hastings, to get a feel for the Town; a Walking Tour was arranged with the Old Hastings Preservation Society, the students then visited the Fisherman’s Museum and also the Hastings Museum & Art Gallery.

As part of the 1066 anniversary celebrations the exhibition at the Museum ‘The Story of Hastings in 66 Objects’ became a starting point in understanding the town’s history through these material artefacts. Students were asked to draw these objects accurately; considering their materiality, to develop a map that relates to the object and identify individuals who might have been involved in the artefacts history. The aim of the above was to illicit a deeper understanding of the material history of Hastings town to enable a more thoughtful design and material response.