About Us
Through a range of thought-provoking exhibitions, workshops, talks, and performances, 'Playing the Race Card' creates a town-wide conversation on race, identity and social justice.
It was started in 2020 by local Hastings resident Claudine Eccleston in response to her own experiences of this diminishing term and is led by a Working Group of community members with support from local arts charity Home Live Art.
Join us in celebrating black excellence and supporting the transformative power of art to promote social change.
One of the many incidences that led to this project
"In 2015 I spoke to an estate agent on the phone and enquired about purchasing a property in my home town, which he was happy to discuss. I was introduced to him briefly outside his office. I phoned about another property a few days later and was told the property was sold. He hung up while I was in mid sentence. However, when my husband called five minutes later, the estate agent booked him in for a viewing immediately. He had yet to meet my White husband.
We decided to bring white friends to the viewing and, predictably, the estate agent was shocked and embarrassed to see me again. Instead of apologising, he told our friends that he refused to sell to me as I had been aggressive and abusive to him in his office - a complete fabrication. I challenged him and I felt that the real reason he was treating me like that was because I was black, to which he told me “don’t play the race card.”
This Black woman have never felt that ‘a race card’ was something that existed or that I could use to my advantage, but the metaphor intrigued me, which is how this project was born.”
Claudine Eccleston, Programme Director
Lorna Hamilton-Brown, Katy Baird (Home Live Art), Claudine Eccleston, Hannah Fox (Good Stuff in St Leonards), Maggie Scott and Deanne Nuala
Meet The Team
Working Group Member
Mo El Kadey is a prolific British Egyptian artist, poet and father of two. He lives between London and St Leonards. Check out Mo at his place in Hastings. Mo's Lounge
Working Group Member
Founder of Menopause Whilst Black, Karen Arthur is a speaker and podcast host. Karen is also a fashion creative and founder of Wear Your Happy.
Working Group Member
Charles Osaji is the Founder and Creative Director of South Coast Squared, a platform dedicated to bringing creativity and culture to one destination. Sharing a passion for original, informed content, inspired by curiosity, led by the creative community.
Project Manager
Katrina Man is an independent curator and art consultant/producer. During and since completing History of Art BA and History of Art (Modern and Contemporary Art) MA, she has specialised in innovative and under-represented contemporary art, especially art that engages with technology, social/political issues, the moving image and sculpture, and emerging artists' practices.
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