Fish and chips will help fund public art as a seafood restaurant hosts a charity evening featuring artist David Shrigley and an art auction.
Rockfish Sidmouth has partnered with Sidmouth School of Art for the fundraiser on Wednesday, October 21, from 6pm to 10pm. All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards the charity’s public art and community projects.
David, a visual artist and co-founder of Sidmouth School of Art, will introduce the evening. Residents and businesses are invited to attend, with tickets available individually or for groups of friends, relatives or colleagues.
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Tickets cost £50 plus a booking fee and include a sharing starter, fish and chips and ice cream. Drinks will be available to buy, with table service from the Rockfish bar.
David said: “Thank you to Mitch Tonks and the team at Rockfish Sidmouth for their generous support.
“It is so heartening for an important new business boosting the town, to partner with us to offer their support for the arts – at a time when arts funding is so challenging.
“What better cultural pairing than food and art together.”
Rockfish founder Mitch Tonks added: “Community is at the heart of what we do, we are delighted to offer our support to Sidmouth School of Art.
“Culture, whether through food, music or art, is good for our wellbeing and sense of place.
“We are really pleased to be helping them to keep doing what they do creatively for the town.”
Established in 2021, Sidmouth School of Art runs participatory projects and artist-led workshops to build creative skills and confidence. It works with people of all ages, with a particular focus on young people.
Its projects include Sidmouth Wallspace overlooking the Ham car park, Riverside Artspace in the Sensory Garden, installations in the red telephone boxes in Market Square and the Festival of Flags.
Riverside Artspace, opposite the Ham play park, features bespoke gabion baskets topped with wooden panels displaying artwork. It hosts three exhibitions each year, each lasting four months, including an annual exhibition focusing on the environment and biodiversity.
The charity’s CODEX project involved young people at Sidmouth College creating a Wallspace artwork and telephone box installations, working with artist and arts education advocate Bob & Roberta Smith.
Now in its second phase, CODEX has expanded to more than 40 schools, helping young people access creative opportunities in the community.
The charity says its projects have been praised by Arts Council England for their community engagement and by the Royal Horticultural Society for connecting nature and art.
Its artistic director, Coco Hodgkinson, was recently nominated for the national Sky Arts “Arts Hero” awards, recognising grassroots contributions to the arts.
David has described the charity’s approach by saying: “Art is about discovering what something means to you and expressing what you think and feel.”
Tickets for the fundraiser can be purchased through the event booking page.
Further information about supporting Sidmouth School of Art, including opportunities to get involved, is available on its website, where supporters can also make a donation.
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