If you’ve been following the radical history of Eastbourne then you will know about the International Workers Mural or “Long March of Labour” that used to be displayed in the reception of Unite the union ‘s Eastbourne Centre (formerly the Transport and General Workers Union Recuperation Hotel and Education Centre, and now The View Hotel Eastbourne ).
This 89ft mural was remove 10 years ago during refurbishments when the hotel opened up for tourism. It is now being stored in boxes in Birmingham.
There has been a long, (as yet unsuccessful), campaign for the mural to be displayed again, in full, in Eastbourne. Hopefully at a permanent site. This is, of course, a huge ask, seeing as a huge site would need to be found. A associated idea was for the mural to find a storage home in Eastbourne and for various panels, at various times, to be exhibited as and when a suitable event is happening.
Well, we are in for a treat now as the mural’s 2 central panels will be exhibited at the Sussex Modernism Exhibition at Towner Eastbourne Gallery from 23rd May until 14th September. This is a ticketed exhibition but hopefully enough of you will be able to visit. And, hopefully, perhaps new life might be breathed into the People’s Eastbourne and Engels in Eastbourne Campaign to bring the mural back.
A brochure of the mural’s 14 panels can be found here, along with the artist’s notes :- https://peopleseastbourne.com/…/eastbourne…/
Details of the coming exhibition here:- https://townereastbourne.org.uk/whats-on/sussex-modernism