Increasing Kent’s potential

Planning not hoping

Kent is a large county, and contains significant growth areas in Kent, Ashford and Thames Gateway North Kent, and Dover with Growth Point status. Over the next 20 years, Kent will see major shifts in its population – which will age considerably - and massive projected growth in households. The public and green spaces, and the community and cultural facilities that will be needed by these new and growing communities will be vital to their success. Just some examples of facilities in development that are building Kent’s offer are:

• Artlands: A contemporary art programme exploring the identity of North Kent through a series of public realm commissions; part of Greening the Gateway Kent and Medway.
• Creative Foundation: A unique organisation that has led the cultural renewal of central Folkestone and attracted in a range of creative businesses a new Creative Quarter near the harbour, working from its base at Quarterhouse
• Creek Creative:  In central Faversham, building a commercially viable, thriving art and design community, with workspaces, gallery and public education programmes
• New Marlowe Theatre: In a riverside Canterbury location, this new two-auditorium facility opening in 2011 will open the touring possibilities for major musicals, quality theatre, international opera, ballet and classical music, and popular and rock concerts. The second space will support original productions and build performing arts skills here in the county.
• Turner Contemporary: dynamic new visual arts organisation drawing on JMW Turner’s legacy, which aims to inspire and engage, and create intriguing connections between art from 1750 and the present day. Located in a dramatic seafront position and housed in a beautiful new building by award-winning David Chipperfield Architects.

Encourage people to enjoy their built and natural environment

Art, creativity and public space

Public space and how local people can shape and then use those spaces have had a heightened focus in recent years; coastal towns in particular have risen up the agenda:

• Artlands: A contemporary art programme that will explore the identity of North Kent through a series of public realm commissions
• Art @ the Centre, Swale: featuring Ghost by artist Adam Chodzko, which formed part of the Whitstable Biennale, and Room, the Art at the Centre Mobile Space
• Dover Esplanade: Revitalised seafront promenade designed by Tonkin Liu, as part of a long-term programme to
• Leysdown Rose Tinted: Urban renewal programme devised by artist Rosa Ainsley and MUF Architecture.
• Liberty Kent Public Art Award: Biennial award that recognises the best public art commissions in the county, and aims to focus on the benefits of commissioning art and to stimulate new commissioning in Kent.
• Streetlight Storm by Katie Paterson on Deal Pier: 20 pier lamps flickering in time to lightning storms from the North Pole to North Africa.

Festivals

Kent has many festivals, which are steadily building a reputation further afield. The run-up to 2012 has also seen rising public interest in festivals and outdoor arts events. This is set to increase. Festivals are a vital part of their local community and creative economy and are vital to Kent’s visitor offer. We work with the creative sector to grow Kent’s festival offer further. Just some of the creative sector programmed festivals on offer here are:

• Big 7 Festival
• Broadstairs Folk Week
• Canterbury Festival
• Charivari Day
• Dippers and Dunkers
• Festival of Light
• Folkestone Fringe
• Folkestone Literature Festival
• Folkestone Triennial
• Gravesham, Dartford and Maidstone Melas,
• Hop Farm Festival, Lounge on the Farm
• Sounds New Music Festival
• Thanet International Film Festival
• Two Days Laughter Film Festival
• Whitstable Biennale.

Grow and promote excellence

• We and the partners are putting in place a Kent Cultural Board, a powerful high level group of advocates and champions who will be able to promote the creative sector and unlock opportunity
• Strategic Investment Fund: this enables us to invest in key strategic interventions that strengthen the sector here in Kent, and create solutions to sector needs; to date that investment has spanned – workspace development, creative business support, arts marketing,
• We believe that a thriving creative sector means a thriving local area – with this in mind, we have invested the development of creative sector skills in marketing, and audience and product development. For more details contact arts@kent.gov.uk.