Local businesses rally to support Rainbow Flag project

Following an appeal for artists to paint the hoardings outside Tesco in St James’s Street for Pride, local businesses have donated money to help pay for the project.

Community activist Chris Cooke is one of the LGBT Reps for small community groups at Community Works and also the chair of Kemptown in Bloom. After extensive discussions he was able to persuade Tesco, Hyde Housing (project manager) and the building contractors Bouygues UK, to turn the hoardings outside Tesco into a huge rainbow flag for pride.

Hizze Fletcher from Thirteen Art Productions offered to project manage the installation, which will include contributions by established local artists including Lez, Paula Sigley, Bambi Brown, Briony Howell and Romany Mark Bruce, the sculptor of the AIDS Memorial in New Steine Gardens. A team of artists from Trans*Pride are also painting the Trans*Flag outside Superdrug.

Chris Cooke said: “The project has caught the imagination of people shopping on St James’s Street who have been stopping, chatting and congratulating the artists, who are all donating their time for free. This is a real community effort and thank you to the local businesses for paying the costs of the materials. I would also like to thank City Clean who I telephoned yesterday and who sent along a team to clean up the street and area ready for the artists to start their work this morning.”

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, said: “I would congratulate all the artists on creating such a fantastic installation for Pride so quickly. For many people, Pride is the biggest community event of the year in our area and it is great that a number of businesses and residents have come together to get involved with this initiative, which will enhance the local environment.”

The following business have all made donations:

• A-Bar

• Avalon Hotel

• Bar Revenge

• Bar Broadway

• Bulldog

• Betty La La’s

• Camelford Arms

• Charles Street

• Doggy Fashion

• Ellis Collins

• Gelato de Luca