Third Thursdays is a new arts, music and culture programme with monthly events, performances, film projections and new artwork commissions in the centre of Brighton, curated and produced by videoclub, in partnership with the Brilliant Brighton Business Improvement District.

Our first Third Thursdays event is fast approaching, with plans taking shape for a surprising, uplifting programme of film and music taking place in the North Laine and The Lanes. 

As with everyone nationally and internationally, we’ve had our struggles, and we felt our curation for the first Third Thursdays evening should bring some relief to the gloom which the pandemic has left lingering. Our theme for the first Third Thursdays programme is Escapism/Optimism, and we’ve aimed to curate films and music that bring some joy, laughter and hopeful reflection. 

The first film we decided should be in the programme was Choi Sai Ho’s ‘Brighton is Our Playground’, created by Choi Sai Ho during a residency in Brighton (while visiting from Hong Kong), made using archive film footage from Screen Archive South East, set alongside high energy, dance soundtrack composed by the artist. It shows sea swimmers and sunbathers enjoying Brighton beach, and it’s possible to glimpse some recognisable images of past Brighton still present. Choi Sai Ho’s film will be showing in Ollie Quinn’s glasses shop on Gardner Street as part of the films in windows programme, one of three films showing.

A walking film trail will weave through the streets, which viewers will be able to follow. We’ll be projecting films above five of Brighton’s shops and pubs between Kensington Gardens and The Lanes. The programme includes work by global artists including Lawrence Lek (UK/Germany), Dynasty Handbag (USA), Choi Sai Ho (Hong Kong), Siphenati Mayekiso (South Africa) and Fuyuhiko Takata (Japan). 

We’ve also invited musicians from Brighton & Hove to play live music in the streets of North Laine and The Laines. Musicians will be playing their own music, giving listeners the chance to hear original music, and the chance for artists to play their own work live to an audience. 

To find out more about the programme, visit thirdthursdaybrighton.com