Towner gallery in Eastbourne to host Turner Prize in 2023

The Turner Prize is awarded to British artists for outstanding work.

Next year the ceremony will be held at the Towner gallery in Eastbourne as part of its centenary celebrations.

Tate Modern in London is the home of the Turner but venues outside the capital are regularly chosen to host the presentation.

Joe Hill, director at the Towner, said: “It will be a very special moment for our communities and for Towner, and a wonderful centrepiece to our centenary year programme.

“The event will not only allow current and new audiences to experience some of the very best in contemporary art in our brand new galleries, but it will also reignite the visitor economy in East Sussex, with events planned across the county as well as across our own town to coincide with the exhibition.”

Towner gallery, Eastbourne

The prize is named after 19th century artist Joseph Mallord William Turner, who was considered “innovative and controversial” at the time.

The winner takes home £25,000.

Towner has just opened its new ground floor contemporary arts space and launched an exhibition displaying the collection of Lucy Wertheim, who dedicated her life to helping young artists.

Alex Farquharson, director at Tate Britain and chairman of the Turner Prize jury, said: “Towner Eastbourne is one of Britain’s most exciting galleries, with a fantastically diverse exhibition programme and world-class collection of modern British and international contemporary art.

“We are absolutely delighted that Turner Prize will take place at Towner in 2023. It marks the first time the prize has been held in Sussex, an area that has inspired generations of artists.”

Staff at Towner preparing the Lucy Wertheim exhibition

East Sussex County Council hopes that as well as being a cultural asset, the prize will bring an economic benefit to the area.

Councillor Rupert Simmons, lead member for economy at the council, said: “East Sussex is planning to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it will be our chance to showcase all that our beautiful county can offer visitors.

“We know that the Turner Prize exhibition is likely to attract many extra visitors and we will be putting plans in place to encourage them to extend their visit, so that the whole of the visitor economy will benefit from the extra visitors that this flagship event will bring.

“We want to give people a warm welcome so that they come back and visit East Sussex again and again.

“We will also be using the Turner Prize exhibition to inspire children and young people, showing them what careers are open to them in the cultural sector, and encouraging residents to get creative.”

The Turner Prize ceremony will be held on December 5, 2023.