02 Feb 2016
Exciting things are happening in the coastal resorts of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. Below is a snapshot of key anniversaries and new happenings for 2016.
Turner Contemporary, Margate – celebrates 5th anniversary year
Turner Contemporary, Margate's stunning cultural landmark, opened in April 2011. Designed by multi award-winning architect David Chipperfield, the gallery is a stunning addition to the seafront and overlooks the same views that Britain's best-loved painter JMW Turner enjoyed as a frequent visitor to the town.
After a phenomenally successful programme in 2015, Turner Contemporary has anambitious fifth anniversary programme, which will include exhibitions by Joachim Koester, JMW Turner and Rose Wylie, as well as a large group show including work by Barbara Hepworth, Anish Kapoor and Paul Nash. The 2016 exhibition programme includes:
Joachim Koester: The Other Side of the Sky - 4 February to 8 May
Leise Wilson: 365 Days - 4 February to 10 March
Seeing Round Corners - 21 May to 25 September
Turner and Colour - 8 October to 8 January 2017
Sunley Gallery
Rose Wylie - January – April
Turner Contemporary's Studio Group commission - November 2016 to May 2017
Learning Programme
Paul Hamlyn, Art Inspiring Change - January 2016 to July 2017
Dreamland Margate is 1 – Saturday, 18 June
To celebrate their 1st Anniversary, Dreamland Margate is holding its very own Dreamland Sound Clash.
Throughout the history of Dreamland different social groups, music lovers and youth cults have spent their holidays in Margate and Dreamland. The sight and sounds of these sub-cultures will be represented by their sound systems in an event akin to Notting Hill Carnival, but with a Margate Twist. Collectives, community projects and local groups are invited to pimp and pump their own sound system for a sound clash on the park.
Open from 10am. Entry is free with normal park ticket, with an evening party in the Roller Disco.
The Yarrow Hotel, Broadstairs
The Yarrow Hotel will open this summer following a multi-million pound refurbishment.
Located in a historic Grade II Listed building, the hotel will give guests a slice of history coupled with modern-day convenience and luxury.
A jewel in the charming coastal town of Broadstairs, The Yarrow also offers a wide range of facilities.
A luxury spa – with hot tub, steam room and sauna – and the hair and beauty salon offers guests the opportunity to indulge in a range of pampering treatments. For lovers of fine food, The Yarrow boasts a 64 seat restaurant, headed up by renowned executive chef Ben Williams.
The hotel also offers conferencing and events space for up to 110 guests, making The Yarrow the perfect venue for wedding receptions.
The Contact is Yarrow.Hotel@eastkent.ac.uk for all enquiries, with the website due to come online at the beginning of March.
Bicentenary of Thomas Russell Crampton
2016 marks the 200th birthday of English engineer Thomas Russell Crampton, born in Broadstairs on 6th August 1816 and trained on Brunel's Great Western Railway.
Chiefly remembered as a designer of locomotives and of railways, Thomas Crampton was also concerned with gas, water works and the submarine telegraph cable. He was the first to succeed in laying an effective telegraph cable under the English Channel.
The museum displays a wealth of artefacts including Thomas Crampton's working drawings, models and graphics; the original 1860 Broadstairs stagecoach and patents, awards and artefacts connected to Thomas Crampton's life and works.
A series of events will be held at Crampton Tower during the year to commemorate the bicentenary.
Bay Tree Hotel, Broadstairs
The Bay Tree Hotel in Broadstairs will re-open late spring after a 5 month long refurbishment of all the guest and communal rooms and grounds, upgrading to a destination, boutique-standard property.
The Bay Tree Hotel is in a superb location on the cliffstops of Eastern Esplanade. It has stunning sea views and is a short walk from Broadstairs town centre, Stone Bay, Viking Bay and popular attractions such as Bleak House and Dickens House Museum.
Hornby Visitor Centre
The Hornby Visitor Centre will be re-opening in a new location in Ramsgate in 2016.
The Hornby Visitor Centre features treasures from the Company's archives dating back as far as the 1920s and includes displays of some of the nations's best-loved toys with sections dedicated to the iconic brands of Hornby, Scalextric, Airfix and Corgi.
Visitors will be able to see some stunning model rail layouts and also try their skills on a Scalextric circuit.
St. Augustine's Church Visitor Centre, Ramsgate
A new Visitor Centre planned for St. Augustine's Church in Ramsgate is due to open in 2016. This will house The Pugin and St Augustine's education, research and visitor centre.
The project aims to increase knowledge and accessibility for people of all ages around two themes: the Victorian architect, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and St. Augustine of England, founder of the Christian church in Southern England.
The centre will provide facilities for visitors, schools and the local community to learn about Pugin and St. Augustine with teaching, displays and physical access through the principal areas of this seminal building.
Old Kent Market, Margate
A beautiful old cinema building on Margate seafront is being renovated, in keeping with the building's history and heritage, into a unique food and drinks market celebrating a passion for quality products in Kent.
Old Kent Market, opposite Turner Contemporary, is due to open late spring 2016.
Margate Brewery
A new microbrewery is to open in the former 'The Cottage' public house on the High Street
www.margatebrewery.com or @margatebrewc
New event – POW! Thanet International Women's Week (8 to 13 March)
POW stands for 'Power of Women'
An exciting group of artists, performers, theatre directors and arts managers are collaborating to organize a 6 day series of events in Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. All these events will focus on the theme of International Women's Day, which this year is Pledge for Parity, and more generally the role of women and girls in the world today. Events will include talks, workshops, debates, yoga and mindfulness sessions, interactive performances, music, poetry, readings, exhibitions and street art.
A grant from Arts Council England will enable greater outreach and audience development.
The programme is being finalized but updates can be received via Facebook (POWThanet) or Twitter (@powThanet). Additionally, for further information contact Michelle Thomas on 07525 030869
For further information on any of the above please contact julie.edwards@thanet.gov.uk or 01843 577671
