90th Birthday Recordings

As part of the De La Warr Pavilion’s 90th anniversary in December 2025 we commissioned artist Mary Hooper to develop a new work that captured the voices of people who wanted to share their memories of the Pavilion.

On the recording Naomi talks about her tap-dancing memories, Suzy Eddie Izzard tells of her father having a food fight as a boy on the opening day in 1935, and Frank talks about the Pavilion’s transformation in 2005. Hatty and Beatrice delight in Hatty’s surprise birthday party, Elise remembers Punch and Judy on the terrace and her dad’s involvement in the Bexhill Stamp Club and Ron talks about being part of the badminton tournaments in the auditorium – the same space where he watched a “very loud” Public Service Broadcasting gig in 2025. Their stories are interwoven with music and sounds of the seaside.

Hooper recorded these spontaneous and unrehearsed conversations with staff, volunteers and visitors. Together they offer a collective portrait of the Pavilion as a lived space, shaped as much by personal histories and everyday encounters as by its architectural and cultural significance. The resulting sound work brings together edited excerpts from these recordings into an 18-minute-long track.

You can hear this track on the North Staircase, second floor, where there will be seating available and access via the lift.

You can also listen on Soundcloud, where you will find the original, individual recordings.

The 90th Birthday recording extends the anniversary beyond a single moment of celebration, creating an evolving archive of voices that speaks to the Pavilion’s enduring role within its local, national and international audiences. The audio features contributions from: Day Levale, Derek Griffiths, Elise Liversedge, Frank Rallings, Jo Burnett, John Cannon, Lifted Up Community Choir, Mark Cole, Mike Fairbrass, Naomi Scully, Rachel Marsh, Reg Middleton, Ron Wood, Sheila Askey, Suzy Eddie Izzard, and those who wished to remain anonymous.

We would like to thank the artist Mary Hooper, as well as all those who shared their time, stories, and reflections, and Kitty McCarron for her support Mary Hooper: 90th Birthday Recordings is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to produce this new audio commission.

Would you like to share your story or memory of the Pavilion?

You can either write it down on an email or we can record you! Please contact us on [email protected] to let us know what you would prefer.

By sharing your story you will be part of our Heritage Programme, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which is part of the An Icon For Everyone building project