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
Project Creator
Claudine Eccleston is a Windrush generation, British and Jamaican. An activist, artist and occasional actor, she helped set up the first Black Socialist Alliance in the 1970's. Former first female plumber, foster carer and children's lifestory practitioner.
Working Group Member
Maggie Scott is an artist who creates her artwork from the particularity of who she is: a black woman, a feminist, a daughter, a mother, an activist, an artist and British. Maggie has been with the project from it's conception.
Working Group Member
Deanne Naula provides support to Home Live Art and all Good Stuff projects as a critical friend. She is supporting playing the race card by helping the team create strong foundations in the delivery of our ambitions and aims.
Working Group Member
Lorna Hamilton-Brown is an artist, activist and educator. She previously lectured at De Montfort university and has an MA in knitted textiles from the royal college of art. She is an independant researcher into the black presence in crafts.
Working Group Member
Katy Baird is the artistic director of Home Live Art which facilitates Good Stuff in St.Leonards, a creative programme of activities devised and led by local residents. Home Live Arts remains Playing the Race Card's biggest supporter.
Working Group Member & past Project Manager
Leonara Manyangadze is an arts programmer and producer based in St Leonards. She was the previous Senior Programmer at Somerset House Studios in London and now works freelance supporting artists to develop and realise their projects.
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
Sarah Buller is a St Leonards based artist and project manager for They Came Before Us, an ongoing project that seeks to amplify the history of women of colour in the UK.
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.
Working Group Member
Hannah Fox is Producer at Home Live Art, a core organiser with The Hologram, and an artist researching queer economies.
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.