outreach
Since 2023 we have actively been building our education and outreach programme, working with schools and community groups to engage more local people in making them aware, and actively participating in our celebration. We’re delighted to have been awarded funding once again this year from Arts Council England and the Heritage Fund. This funding enables us to expand our community outreach and share traditional May Day and Sussex customs with even more local people.
This year we are working closely with four local schools, delivering workshops in Morris and ceilidh dancing, alongside sessions exploring traditional crafts. These activities give young people the chance to experience living traditions first-hand, learning the steps, the music and the creative skills that sit at the heart of Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green.
Beyond schools, our programme reaches into many corners of the community. We are running Morris workshops with three local Scouts groups, creative sessions with Aspens, and ceilidh dancing with the White Rock Theatre Youth Group. We’re also hosting a special storytelling and puppetry event with The Fellowship of St Nicholas, and folk craft sessions with the Hastings Ukrainian Monday group.
Following the success of last year’s involvement, We Out Here will be leading further workshops to develop their Red Set Girl costumes. The project was so warmly received that we’re delighted to be building on its creativity and visual impact, strengthening their place as a vibrant and much-loved part of the weekend.
Alongside this targeted work, we are widening our public and family-friendly offer. This includes creative workshops, our Friday night talk, a singaround, our first ever family ceilidh, and interactive storytelling events across three local libraries. This year we are also introducing smaller-scale, SEND-friendly family workshops at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery and Stade Hall, ensuring that more families can participate in a way that feels welcoming and accessible.
We have also developed a very special giant-themed day, bringing together a series of linked workshops and activities that celebrate these larger-than-life characters.
All of our education and outreach events are offered free of charge, helping to remove barriers and encourage as many people as possible to take part. Through this work, we aim not only to celebrate tradition, but to keep it growing — rooted in community, creativity and shared experience.
If you have any questions about our education/outreach programme please contact us at outreach@hastingstraditionaljackinthegreen.co.uk
