Oxmarket Contemporary celebrating 50 years of keeping art alive in Chichester

Help Us Support Artists and Our Community

Our goal is to raise £50,000 during 2026 to expand Oxmarket’s support for artists, young people and the local community over the coming years.

Your support will help us develop three key areas of our work:

Inspiring the Next Generation Through Art

Our education programme introduces local schoolchildren to the world of art through gallery visits, guided activities and practical sketching sessions.

With many schools facing increasingly limited budgets for arts education, these visits provide a valuable opportunity for children to experience art first-hand. Every child who visits the gallery receives a sketchbook and pencils to take home—often their first opportunity to own their own art materials.

We plan to expand the programme with hands-on workshops in ceramics, painting and three-dimensional art, alongside online resources that children can continue to explore after their visit.

Having welcomed more than 250 schoolchildren last year, our ambition is to reach more than 1,000 children every year within five years.

Connecting and Supporting Our Community

Art can play a powerful role in improving wellbeing, building confidence and creating meaningful social connections.

Our fundraising campaign will enable Oxmarket to expand its programmes for vulnerable and socially isolated teenagers and adults, creating more regular opportunities to learn, create and connect.

Funding will support artist-led talks, practical workshops and weekly drop-in sessions, providing professional tuition, creative materials and, most importantly, a welcoming space where people can come together through art.

Giving Young Artists Their First Opportunity

We also want to invest in the next generation of artists.

For emerging artists at the beginning of their careers, opportunities to exhibit professionally can be difficult to find. Our fundraising will help us create dedicated exhibitions each year for young and emerging artists, giving them the chance to present their work to the public and take an important first step in developing their careers.

Over the next five years, we aim to support more than 50 new artists, helping them gain their first professional exhibition and the platform, experience and confidence to take their work further.

Help Us Make It Possible

By helping us raise £50,000 in 2026, you can play a direct part in creating more opportunities for children, supporting people in our community and giving emerging artists the chance to be seen.

-  By giving a donation: donations of all sizes are most welcome and help us fund exhibitions for local and emerging artists and our community programmes and events.

- Join the Circle of local businesses powering local creativity. Our goal is simple:100 local businesses each contributing £100 to support our Community Gallery — a place where art, learning, and local pride come together. Find out more here.