Black Rock art gallery is still a long-term aim, with funding yet to be worked out

Brighton & Hove City Council¹ still wants a major art gallery at Black Rock, and says talks with national funders, government and big cultural institutions have started. The gallery’s funding is still subject to feasibility work. For up to five years, the site will be used for sport and leisure.

On Thursday 15 October the cabinet approved a meanwhile use for the former swimming pool site of up to five years, with padel courts as the preferred option, as first reported by Brighton and Hove News.

Labour deputy leader Jacob Taylor told the meeting that Brighton has no major visual arts gallery. “When we talk to people nationally, they’re surprised that we don’t have a modern art gallery in the city, but to get to that we need to take a phased approach,” he said.

According to the cabinet report, the council and its partners have “begun exploring opportunities” with gallery operators and cultural organisations, and are also talking to universities, museums, creative industry partners and possible investors. Officers have looked at Arts Council England programmes, National Lottery funding, philanthropy, sponsorship, commercial investment and central government support. The aim is a business case that could draw in a mix of public and private money.

The same report says the form, scale, deliverability and funding of any permanent cultural offer “remain subject to further feasibility work, partnership development, business case preparation and future decision-making”. The padel lease must not tie the council’s hands on what comes after it.

In the meantime, officers are looking at bringing major exhibitions to the city before any gallery is built, to build an audience and show there is demand.

Councillor Alan Robins, the cabinet member for sport, said he had heard more visions for Black Rock than he had hot dinners. About £18m has been spent preparing the site so far, on a realigned sea wall, the 800m boardwalk, moving utilities and better walking and cycling links to the Marina.