Over 600 visitors braved the poor weather to visit the 50 Years of Change Exhibition at Lewes Town Hall on Saturday 7 December and Sunday 8 December.

50 Years of Change offered an opportunity to reflect back to 1974 when Lewes Town Council was formed, opening up conversations and the opportunity to record what Lewes looks like now, in 2024. An open call and period of engaged talks led to a presentation of the ephemera of Lewes, and a question of what the next fifty years will look like in the town.

Featuring archival photographs and documents, the exhibtion in Lewes Town Hall’s Corn Exchange showcased how Lewes looked in decades past and how it has adapted to meet the challenges and opportunities of the modern era. The items presented offered the potential to become a source for deeper research and engagement between the Town Council and the activities, daily life, changing landscape, and vista of Lewes.

The ephemera from the last fifty years explored the more recent developments in Lewes, from shifts in commerce and the life of the high street to the evolving relationship between the town and the River Ouse.

The exhibition included contributions from Rodin’s Kiss, Art Wave, the Breweries, Bonfire Societies, the 2000 Floods, Depot Cinema, Lewes FC, PATINA, as well as a fascinating collection of photos of Lewes from the 1970s and many many others.

Cllr Matthew Bird, one of the organisers of the event said, “This event was only a small glimpse into the rich and dynamic town that is Lewes. It was brilliant hearing people’s memories and at the same time celebrating and sometimes challenging life in Lewes today.”

Talking about Lewes

A programme of talks that took place in the Lecture Room at the Town Hall reflected on key moments in the last fifty years like the Harvey’s Protest at the Lewes Arms, and the formation of Lewes Athletics club. A discussion with some of the creators of the new ‘Grown in Lewes’ book published by the Town Council, and a film documenting Bonfire in 1974 were also well attended.

A key part of the exhibition was inviting the public to share their thoughts on what the next fifty years might look like. Giant aerial photos showing the whole town formed a mapping exercise in which visitors were asked to write comments about the town including their hopes and aspirations for the next 50 years. Over 160 comments were made.

Looking at the ephemera in one space, Lewes Town Council is looking forward to starting of a period of hopeful reflection, allowing the council and town to dig into the societal, historical, cultural, and anthropological context of their preservation of Lewes.

Next year, Lewes Town Council will be consulting the town on important strategies for its future, including the South Downs National Park’s Local Plan, the Lewes Movement Strategy and the town’s Neighbourhood Plan. This reflective exhibition helped start that conversation.