About

Focal Point Gallery is South Essex’s gallery for contemporary visual art, promoting and commissioning major solo exhibitions, group and thematic shows, a programme of events including performances, film screenings and talks, as well as offsite projects and temporary public artworks.

The organisation  produces several exhibitions each year, in which artists and curators are given a platform to make new work in response to the gallery’s unique location on the ground floor of the town's new library and learning facility, The Forum.

Focal Point Gallery also lead Radical ESSEX, a county-wide partnership project with Visit Essex, Firstsite, Essex County Council, Colchester Council and Southend Borough Council, focused on celebrating the twentieth century radical histories of the county.

Focal Point Gallery also curates and commissions an on-going programme of artist moving image, screened daily on Big Screen Southend; a permanent outdoor video facility located adjacent to our main gallery space in Elmer Square.

As a key focus of our output, Focal Point Gallery’s learning programme aims to engage people of all ages in current debates around contemporary art, and looks to extend and develop new audiences. We consider the philosophies and working methods of the artists in our exhibitions programme as the starting point for inspiration, aspiration and discussion in the community. On this basis, the gallery seeks to proactively engage with a wide range of local community groups, schools, young people and children.

Focal Point Gallery receives regular funding from Arts Council England as one of the organisation's national portfolio of funded organisations. The gallery also receives regular support from Southend Borough Council. The programme receives additional funding from other trusts and foundations and collaborates with partners including arts agencies and other organisations to co-produce projects.