In the early 1980's the artist Ned Hoskins used his front room as a temporary gallery space to show his paintings during the Brighton Festival. He started a stampede of interest, especially from the group of like minded artists in the thriving colony of Brighton artists. Nowadays there are nearly a hundred similar shows with artists opening their houses during the annual International Brighton Arts Festival held in May every year. The shows are very popular and thousands of visitors come from all over the world to see the exhibitions of art and craft by artists showing in their own homes.

Colin and Fran, like Ned, are long serving members of the originating Fiveways Artists Group here in Brighton, Sussex, UK.. This local group is currently over twenty strong and they organise a co-ordinated exhibition. All are artists who live within a few minutes walk from the Fiveways road junction in Brighton. This is where it started, and it is still going from strength to strength.

The Fiveways Artists Open House shows have been a regular feature of the Brighton Festival for over ten years, and in 1997 the Arts Council of Great Britain, with funding from the National Lottery fund for the Arts, awarded the Fiveways Group financial support to write a history and analysis of the Artists Open House events and describe their phenomenal success during the Festival. The book is being researched jointly by academics from Sussex University and the University of Brighton. It will be available for distribution to art groups, galleries, university libraries etc. in 1998.

This web site is based on the artists open-house experience. Colin and Fran hope that you find it interesting. Of course you are welcome to see the real thing as well. Register your interest by e-mail and we will let you have a personal invitation to attend.