Women of Eastbourne
Eastbourne has always been shaped by women — but for most of history, their stories have gone untold.
Women of Eastbourne is a WayfinderWoman project that set out to change that. In partnership with Eastbourne Borough Council and supported by £79,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, WayfinderWoman spent two years uncovering the lives of women who helped shape this town — socially, culturally, physically — and whose contributions had largely been overlooked.
The project trained volunteers in research skills to track down untold stories, built a living digital archive, and created a walking tour of Eastbourne sites connected to women of influence. Of the 21 statues, memorials and plaques in Eastbourne, only one celebrated a woman — this project was a direct response to that absence.
Hidden Voices found its voice here, in the stories of women whose names had been quietly erased from the town they helped build — more on Hidden Voices soon.