Following two years of research in local archives around Sussex, SBS is creating a touring exhibition which will travel to partner locations in Bexhill, Worthing, Newhaven and Brighton and Hove in June and September.
Bexhill Museum, 10-14 June around the Museum & 15-16 June in the Education Room, linking with Bike Week (10-16 June)
Worthing Museum, 18-30 June as part of Worthing Festival
Newhaven Library 1-15 September, as part of Heritage Open Days and Newhaven Festival
Jubilee Library Brighton, 16-29 September, coinciding with International Car Free Day
The exhibition is presented as a series of themes which emerged during research – from clothing to rides, races & events; pioneering lady bicyclists, clubs & cycling suffragists; as well as current cycling clubs, promoting learning to ride & maintenance sessions for women.
SBS Digital Exhibition: Click on the images below to find out more about the different elements of the project:
FREE – SBS Taster Workshops in Newhaven & Brighton
We’re delighted to offer a series of fun, sociable taster sessions for you to learn some basic moves with your bike, develop your own moves & short sequences & work with the whole group to create a short choreography.
Confirmed dates so far:
22 June – 10.30am -12.30pm, Preston Park, Brighton
23 June – 10.30am-12.30pm, The Sidings, Newhaven
25 June – 5.45pm-7.45pm Haven Young Creatives, Newhaven
6 July – 10am-12noon with Our City Dances, Brighton
14 August – 6pm-8pm, Preston Park Brighton, pleae sign up on Eventbrite HERE
30 August – 10.30-12.30pm, Third Space Theatre Summer School, Brighton
What you need to know: All ages are welcome, we just ask that you have a level of cycling proficiency, recommended Bikeability Level 2 – essentially that you can ride safely with one hand off the handlebar. Wear comfortable clothing & bring your bike.
Borrow a bike: some bicycles are available to borrow. If you need one, please contact us on info(at)sussexblazingsaddles.co.uk giving your age & height
Participate in the Show: If you love it, as we’re sure you will, please sign up to participate in Blazing Saddles shows in September. More info HERE
Newhaven on 7 & 8 Sept & Brighton 21 & 22 Sept – sign up below
Come & dance with your bicycle & take part in a Sussex Blazing Saddles performance. The show is based on the moment women in the 1890s, transformed their clothing & society to be able to ride bicycles.
We will create the shows with local women & girls (you & your bike) over a weekend, starting with workshop/rehearsals & a ride around the performance sites on the first day; further rehearsal & performance on the second day.
You will learn the show’s choreographic structures & moves, as well as create your own moves & short sequences & work together safely as part of the cast. You will develop your cycling skills & confidence, improve control of your bicycle on the roads & as part of a group, & have the best fun doing so. Some of our workshop materials have been incorporated in the Bikeability programmes.
Come & join in:
Sign up to be part of Newhaven Blazing Saddles on 7 & 8 SeptemberHERE
Sign up to participate in the Brighton Blazing Saddles on 21 & 22 September coming soon….
Previous Participants said…
& you can watch a short film of previous participants HERE
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You can take part in either the Newhaven or Brighton shows, or both if you have the time/energy. Rehearsals & performance will take a whole weekend.
Here’s a very rough, draft schedule for both weekends:
Saturdays 7 Sept in Newhaven or 21 Sept in Brighton
9.30am-10am – Arrival
10am-1pm – Introductions, workshop to learn core skills & basic choreographic moves & introduction to the show choreography
1-2pm – Lunch break
2-5pm – Ride to performance sites & around routes, rehearsing scenes
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Sundays 8 Sept in Newhaven or 21 Sept in Brighton
9.30am-10am – Arrival
10am-12.30pm – Rehearsal running through choreography
12-1.30pm – Lunch break
1.30-2.30pm – Costume call & prep
2.30-4.30pm – Ride to performance sites & around routes, rehearsing scenes
Sign up to get more information soon or check back here shortly… infoatsussexblazingsaddles.co.uk
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In the meantime… watch this short film of the show
Loads of FREE activities & events throughout the year. The calendar below lists confirmed events only & we’re working on dates for a programme of FREE workshops to upcycle cycling outfits, dance with your bike & SBS heritage inspired rides. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram for updates
April
13 April, 11am-4pm, A FREE, all day or drop in sewing & remaking workshop at CREW 8-9 South Street, BN11 3AL. Participants made bloomers & sashes from men’s shirts for a dressing up box for the SBS exhibition. More HERE
May
2 May, Worthing Museum Costume Archive Training, an invited group visited the costume archive for a special talk, with examples from the collection, about 1890s-1928 women’s clothing constraints, contraptions & convertible horse riding outfits by Senior Curator Gerry Connolly
22 May, Newhaven, Come along & help us shape the Re-Imagining, Re-Making programme in Newhaven over the next few months. Hillcrest Centre Newhaven 6pm-8pm
June
1 June, Bexhill – Re-Imagine Re-Make session at the Eco Hub, Western Road, Bexhill time tbc
1 & 2 June, Bexhill – Women & Girls Bike Safety Checks by Bexhill Wheelers, Egerton Park back of Bexhill Museum 12-4pm
10 June – Bexhill, Re-Imagine Re-Make session at the Eco Hub, Western Road, Bexhill time tbc
14 June – Bexhill, talk by Senior Curator Julian Porter Bexhill Bicycles & Brasseys Bexhill Museum 2.30pm
15-16 June, Bexhill SBS Exhibition Bexhill Museum
16 June, Bexhill Pleasant Sunday Afternoon – heritage ride, talk & music – bring your bike & meet at Bexhill Museum at 1.30pm
16 June, Bexhill talk by Creative Director Karen Poley Sussex Blazing Saddles, 2pm
18 June – 9 July, Worthing SBS Exhibition Worthing Museum
In the late 1890s, women embraced cycling & transformed their clothing to be able to ride safely in shorter skirts or bloomers, & breathe more easily without corsets. This was a revolutionary transformation sparking a significant backlash, that also helped fuel the suffrage movement.
As part of our exploration of the pioneering heritage of women & cycling, we’re thinking about how perceptions of cycling clothing today – lycra, helmet hair etc – discourage women & girls from riding bicycles.
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SBS is running a series of free talks & sewing workshops to Re-Imagine, Re-Frame & Re-Make women’s clothing for cycling or any time.
Come & transform preloved clothes – repairs or making them fit; transforming them completely adding splashes of colour or different fabrics; merging two or more completely different items in chaotic experiment. We’re also creating a dressing up box of bloomers upcycled from men’s shirts, to tour alongside the Sussex Blazing Saddles exhibition.
Get involved in the next planning sessions in Newhaven & Brighton to help us develop what we will do in each location. Coming up:
NEWHAVEN, an initial, open planning session to be followed by two days of making sessions
22 May, Hillcrest Community Centre, Newhaven 6pm-8pm
BEXHILL, two making & upcycling sessions. BOOK HERE, drop in or stay the whole day:
1 June, with Community Supporters, at the Eco Hub, Western Road, Bexhill – 10.30am-12.30pm & 1pm-3pm
10 May, with Community Supporters, at the Eco Hub, Western Road Bexhill, 10.30am-12.30pm & 1pm-3pm
BRIGHTON, initial planning session & two days of making dates tbc
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Have a look at the images below to find out more about the project so far
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This element of the Sussex Blazing Saddles project started in February 2024 with two conversations in Worthing & Bexhill. Local people came to hear about the project, help us develop ideas & frame how we might work together.
The initial sessions took place in:
Worthing – Saturday 24 February 1.30-3pm at the Stitch It Don’t Ditch It session at CREW, Climate Resilience Centre, Worthing, 8-9 South Stree, Worthing, BN11 3AL, &
Bexhill – Monday 26 February 1.30-3pm at Bexhill Museum, 47 Egerton Road, Bexhill, TN39 3HL
Following this, we ran:
A FREE, all day or drop in workshop at CREW (Climate Resilience Centre Worthing) 8-9 South St, BN11 3AL on Saturday 13 April, 11am-4pm
Next up:
Two sessions in Bexhill with Community Supporters on 1st June & 10th June & one more tbc. More info soon
There are two versions of TLC Undersea Experience for different types of events:
The HTC Vive version is a high-quality, vr installation, enabling users to move around an area approximately 3.5-4m2 to explore a virtual, chalk reef gully, similar to those in the MCZ. Users can follow their curiosity to explore, pick up rocks to see creatures underneath & see marine life all around. Scroll down for Technical Specs
The 360-film version, is suitable for schools & busy community events or festivals where there are large numbers of people. We currently have 8 headsets, each with the capacity for 8-10 users per hour, so 70-80 users per hour, depending on size of space available.
A surprise for one of our new volunteers when she discovered her grandmother’s role in the cycling rational dress movement.
“I have no sympathy, whatever with the skirt, in any shape or form, and if a woman is not prepared to ride in knickers(knickerbockers), I think she should not ride until she is.”
Home Chat magazine, June 27, 1896.
This fantastic quote is from London based 1890s cycling champion Monica Harwood. It was found by her Worthing based, grand-daughter also named Monica, who has become one of our first volunteers, and who has been digging into her family history. It appears before Monica Harwood married, she became a cycling champion, then joined Bert Howard’s troupe of lady cyclists and was Captain of the Chelsea Rational Cycling Club. She never mentioned her cycling career to her family.
