Discover Kent's creative coast
09/04/2008
Just an hour from London, the east Kent coast is emerging as a cultural hotbed and this summer’s Folkestone Triennial will further raise the area’s profile as a destination for the arts.
The county has much to offer anyone wishing to experience a cultural short break. East Kent's seaside towns are rapidly evolving, shaking off their ‘kiss-me-quick’ reputations, and acquiring a chic, artistic image. Canterbury’s arts venues are the subject of major regeneration projects and a new high-speed rail link from London St Pancras International is scheduled to open in 2009.
The Folkestone Triennial, June 14 – September 14, is an ambitious public art project planned as part of the regeneration of the town, and is billed as the must-see contemporary art event of the summer. ‘Tales of Time and Space’ will see sculpture, photography, film, installations, and performances inspired by the town itself commissioned from internationally acclaimed and emerging artists including Mark Wallinger, Tracey Emin and Jeremy Deller. These will be presented from public spaces including the beach, harbour and seafront. www.folkestonetriennial.org.uk The Triennial is part of a wider regeneration programme to redevelop Folkestone’s harbour and seafront, a new £38m city academy, a University Campus, a performing arts centre and Creative Quarter, being led by the Creative Foundation. www.creativefoundation.org.uk
Also in Folkestone are the Metropole Galleries (www.metropole.org.uk), housed in a striking Edwardian building set on the seafront. Recent exhibitions have featured Tacita Dean, Phyllida Barlow and Mark Titchner. A series of Art Trails, taking in Folkestone and Dover, along the dramatic White Cliffs coastline is especially popular with families. www.whitecliffscountryside.org.uk
A short drive away, the bustling Cathedral city of Canterbury celebrates everything from classical music to contemporary dance, and comedy to world music with its annual Canterbury Festival. The event, Kent's international arts festival, October 11 – 25, features more than 200 cultural events in venues throughout Canterbury and the surrounding area. www.canterburyfestival.co.uk
The city’s grade-II listed Beaney Institute museum, library and art gallery is to undergo a £11.5m restoration and extension at the end of 2008. Built with funds bequeathed by Dr James Beaney, it opened in 1899 to re-house a museum and library located in Guildhall Street. The library now has more than two million books including 17th and 18th century texts and the museum houses Old Master drawings, 16th century European oil paintings and Anglo-Saxon jewellery.www.canterbury.co.uk
Ambitious plans at The Marlowe Theatre, also in Canterbury, will see the theatre greatly enlarged. The new theatre seeks to engage with the community develop artistic and creative skills. www.marlowetheatre.com
The Gulbenkian Theatre is a lively venue on the UniversityUniversity of Kent’s Canterbury campus, offering music, drama, dance and comedy, as well as an independent cinema, Cinema 3. www.kent.ac.uk/gulbenkian
Travel north from Canterbury to explore Whitstable’s seaside chic. The town is a popular weekend break destination with lots to see, from its much-photographed weather boarded cottages and pebble beach to its craft shops, galleries and delis. Whitstable Biennale, June 21 – July 6, is a festival of contemporary visual art and performance and is rapidly gaining international renowned as a showcase for new work by some of the UKUK’s most exciting artists.www.whitstablebiennale.com
Whitstable Oyster Festival, July 19 – 27, attracts over 75,000 visitors and sees the streets crammed with an unrivalled variety of entertainment. A programme of arts, culture and festival food celebrates the best of the town, and incorporates the Landing of the Oysters, a modern recreation of a historic and traditional event.www.whitstableoysterfestival.co.uk
Experience the nostalgia of England’s first seaside resort,Margate, which set the trend for donkey rides, deckchairs and sea bathing. The town’s coastal sunsets inspired JMW Turner’s famous seascapes and is well-known as Tracey Emin’s stamping ground. www.visitthanet.co.uk
New galleries and independent shops are shaping Margate’s growing cultural quarter which will feature the Turner Contemporary – a landmark venue for visual arts due to open in 2010. The Turner Contemporary Project Space, 53-57 High Street, is already hosting exhibitions in advance of the grand opening.www.turnercontemporary.org
Margate Rocks Festival of Visual Art, May 2 – 11, attracts a diverse audience through its programme of commissions, exhibitions, talks, events, films and workshops. This year’s festival looks at art and ecology. www.margaterocks.comVoted one of the best seaside towns in the country, the unspoiled, charming resort of Broadstairs has a wealth of literary history and winding lanes where tiny flint houses and fishermen’s cottages nestle comfortably together and small, independent shops offer antiques and vintage clothing. www.visitthanet.co.uk
Broadstairs Folk Week, August 8 – 15, sees the town’s parks, pubs, gardens, beaches and promenade host musicians - from the highly professional to the inexperienced amateur - in impromptu sessions. Headliners this year include Eliza Carthy, The Poozies, Cara Dillon and Lark Rise Show.www.broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk
The one-screen Palace Cinema in Broadstairs is perfect for those wishing to experience an old-fashioned cinema. Built in 1911, it housed in a former armour museum then puppet theatre before becoming a cinema. www.palacebroadstairs.co.uk
Further south, the working seaside town of Deal has emerged as an elegant destination with bustling delis, galleries and antique shops. Explore the winding streets of the Georgian old town, or take a seafront stroll past the painted fishing boats. The Deal Festival, July 5 – 19, originally centred on chamber music and has evolved into a tightly packed line-up of acts including opera and street music, as well as exhibitions and workshops. www.dealfestival.co.uk
Later in the season, the Deal Maritime Folk Festival, September 19 – 21, is a vibrant celebration featuring a diverse range of folk with street and pub performances, workshops and concerts. www.dealmaritimefolkfestival.org.uk
Along the coast, Dungeness is home to Derek Jarman’s famous garden at Prospect Cottage, which combines local plants, flints, stones, driftwood and fishing nets on a huge bank of shingle. It is also boasts several small art galleries, including the Dungeness Gallery, situated between two lighthouses on the shingle beach.
For further information on places to visit, stay and eat in Kent go to www.visitkent.co.uk.