Exciting things are happening in the coastal resorts of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate.  Below is a snapshot of key new events and anniversaries for 2017, including new exhibitions at Turner Contemporary, new events at Dreamland Margate and the 80th anniversary celebrations of Broadstairs' Dickens Festival.
Further information on Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate can be found on www.visitthanet.co.uk

Dreamland Margate hosts new events

New to Dreamland in 2017 will be three very different events, plus the third anniversary of their award winning 'Screamland'.

GEEK (17 to 19 February) – GEEK (Games Expo East Kent) is a family friendly festival of play and games, which brings together people to meet, make and play.  For the first time, it will be held at undercover venues in Dreamland, including the newly refurbished Hall By The Sea, The Ballroom, the arcades and the Roller Disco.

Highlights will include celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Mario Kart with an official tournament, and the 40th Anniversary of Judge Dread's 2000AD comic book featuring an exclusive exhibition of covers and artwork, some of which have never been shown before.  Other highlights include Renga, Minecraft Cave, Cosplay, tournaments and coding workshops.

There will also be an exciting variety of talks, discussions and workshops led by industry professionals, all geared to open the door to the games industry.

The event will be open from 11am to 6pm on 17 and 19 February and from 11am to 11pm on 18 February.  Tickets are from as little as £4 per child and £9 per adult – www.dreamland.co.uk/geek

Hipsville Seaside A Go Go Weekend  (28 to 30 April) – Enjoy the UKs wildest 60s and beyond themed party weekend featuring international bands, all-star DJs, caged Go Go girls and uncaged gorillas!  Costume and cocktail parties, vintage market stalls, weekend long custom car and bike show.

Open Friday 28 April, 8pm to 6am, tickets £25 in advance, £30 on the day.
Saturday 29 April, 11am to 6pm and 8pm until 6am, tickets £35 in advance, £40 on the day (including unlimited rides) or evening only £30 in advance, £35 on the day
Sunday 30 April, 11am to 6pm, £8 in advance or £10 on the day (event only), £18 in advance or £20 on the day (event and unlimited rides)
Friday and Saturday evening events are for over 18s only.
For the latest line up and full band information – www.hipsville.co.uk

Undercover Festival (8 and 9 September) –  Moving from Brighton to Dreamland Margate in 2017.  Undercover Festival is a small, independent grassroots festival, determined to be different from mainstream events with two days of alternative action from bands you'd be highly unlikely to see on many other festival line-ups.  Music will include new punk, ska, dub, reggae and post punk. 

Friday ticket £39, Saturday ticket £45, 2 day ticket £75.  Full line-up and tickets available soon – www.undercoverfest.com or www.dreamland.co.uk

Screamland (13 to 28 October, 6 nights) – The region's award-winning, largest scare festival will return for its third year, with interactive and immersive scare mazes, sinister sideshows and unlimited us of the rides – some with an unexpected twist.

Every Friday and Saturday, 6pm to 11pm

Early Bird Pre-Sale Standard - £15 (13.50 members)
Early Bird Pre-Sale Fast Track - £20 (£18 members)

Exhibitions at Turner Contemporary, Margate
                                          
Turner Contemporary, Margate's stunning cultural landmark, opened in April 2011. Designed by multi award-winning architect David Chipperfield, the gallery is a fantastic 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. Original works by Turner are always on display at the gallery, from a single work or sketchbooks to major shows.  There is also a rich rolling programme of exhibitions featuring work by leading international contemporary artists.

The 2017 exhibition programme includes:

Entangled: Threads and Making (28 January to 7 May)
In spring 2017, Turner Contemporary puts materiality and making centre stage. Entangled is an exhibition of sculpture, installation, tapestry, textiles and jewellery from the 20th century to the present day. The exhibition features over 40 international female artists who explore and expand the possibilities of a range of techniques, from knitting and embroidery to weaving, sewing and carving in wood, often incorporating unexpected materials such as plants, clothing, hair and bird quills.

Phyllida Barlow:  ARTISTS ROOMS and Michael Armitage: New and recent paintings (27 May to 17 September)
Turner Contemporary's summer season exhibitions will take a different approach to programming.  The exhibitions will bring together artists, young people, students and teachers with audiences to celebrate the vital role of art in society, across generations and cultures.

Jean Arp: The Poetry of Forms; Tracey Emin, My Bed and JMW Turner, Petworth (7 October to 14 January 2018)
This will be the first exhibition of Jean Arp's work in the UK since his death in 1966.  The Poetry of Forms will provide a unique and long-overdue opportunity to evaluate the impact Arp had on the British avant-garde.

Tracey Emin's iconic and controversial installation My Bed will be on display alongside a group of twenty of Turner's intimate gouache drawings of Petworth House, loaned from Tate's collection.
www.turnercontemporary.org

Pugin and St. Augustine Visitor Centre

A new visitor centre planned for St. Augustine's Church in Ramsgate will open in spring 2017. 
This will house The Pugin and St Augustine 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.

The first exhibition will take place during the summer.
www.augustine-pugin.org.uk

Broadstairs Dickens Festival (17-23 June) – celebrating 80 years

The 2017 Dickens Festival will see the introduction of some amazing new events, plus the welcome return of firm favourites, as the town celebrates the festival's 80th year.

The 'Grande Parade', with Queen Victoria in her horse-drawn carriage and a host of Dickensian characters, will start the festivities. 

Events during the week include a vintage music hall, the festival play –'Pickwick Papers', a costume exhibition, the festival archive with 80 years of photos, film footage and slides, readings, a magic show, Victorian games and a croquet masterclass.

There is also a full menu of food and drink-related events to choose from with a 'Country Fayre' full of delicious Kent produce, a Victorian banquet, 'Mother's Ruin' gin tasting, mead, cheese and pickle tasting, plus an elegant afternoon tea as the Grande Finale.
www.broadstairsdickensfestival.co.uk

Sunshine Café, Margate

Phase two of the Dreamland site will see the renovation and reopening of the 'Sunshine Café'. 

Opened in 1934, the Sunshine Café was the premier restaurant on Margate seafront.  The first floor former cafe has panoramic windows looking north over Margate Main Sands and west towards the sunset.

The Dreamland cinema complex is listed Grade II*. Supported by the Coastal Communities Fund, Thanet District Council will repair the building's façade and re-instate the Art Deco neon signage. The windows of the Sunshine Café will also be replaced.

12 Arthur Road, Cliftonville

New for summer 2017 - in the 1950s/60s, 12 Arthur Road was the Cecil Hotel and accommodated up to 50 people.

Redesigned by architect Sam Causer, this 1890s Cliftonville townhouse will be available for hire for a group of ten to enjoy historic reception rooms, five en-suite bedrooms and a walled garden.

Furnishings are being selected to reflect its Victorian beginnings, its 50s/60s heyday and the needs of today.
 
Supported with funding from the Townscape Heritage Initiative

Royal Victoria Pavilion

The Grade II listed building is being developed by J D Wetherspoon into one of the largest public houses in the UK.  It is due to open on 18 July.

Original details obtained from photographic and drawing archives will inspire much of the interior design, which will seek to blend contemporary styling with the building's genuine design heritage.

Situated next to Ramsgate Main Sands, Royal Victoria Pavilion, will feature artwork and photos depicting local history and characters of the area, as well as information on the building itself.

Flash Festival, Broadstairs (15 and 16 July)

The new Flash Festival is a combination of literature, interactive shows, live music, celebrity appearances, author talks, book signings, role-playing games, local and international steampunk designers, art exhibitions and food.

Event-goers will meet some friendly dragons and their wizard friends from the Theatre of Alchemy, who have incredible tales to tell and invite all to join in a Dragon Procession.  Kids and those young at heart can get their faces painted or have a cosplay makeover.  Adults and teenagers can pre-register to attend a one-time only talk given by TV personality and author Andrew Gough, or listen to Dean Samed, cover artist for Stephen King and Clive Barker, talk about his life, art and unique vision.

Those who love cosplaying, anime, and the world of fantasy will be delighted to know that Flash Festival will be hosting online cosplay competitions in the months leading up to July and the public are invited to vote for their favourites. The winners of the cosplay and writing competitions will be given prizes at the festival.

Anniversary - Walpole Bay Tidal Pool – 80 years

Opened in 1937, the Grade II listed Walpole Bay tidal pool, is thought to be the largest in the country.  It covers an area of 4 acres and is 450ft long, 300ft wide
at the seaward end and 550ft wide at the landward end. 

On Sunday 25 June there will be swimming and a celebratory event at the pool.

ENDS

For further information on any of the above please contact julie.edwards@thanet.gov.uk or ring 01843 577671