insideKENT Magazine Issue 39 - June 2015 | Page 25

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

Folkestone Open Quarter
19-21 June

This summer, Folkestone Creative Quarter will be opening its doors and inviting the public to
take a look behind the scenes of this thriving creative hub.

The Creative Quarter is an area of Folkestone
that has been developed by the Creative
Foundation to regenerate Folkestone through the
arts, the creative industries, and education. With
a great combination of shops, restaurants, cafés,
studios and other creative businesses, Open
Quarter is a great chance to meet the residents,
artists and shop owners of the Creative Quarter
and to join in celebrating this unique part of
Folkestone.

knowledge of the Creati ve Quarter, forge bonds
with like-minded individuals, and share your views.

Open Quarter begins with Connecting Creatives
on Friday 19th June at 5.30pm – a free
presentation and networking event at the
Quarterhouse, which invites local business owners,
artists and start-ups to meet, make contacts,
and discuss their future plans. Connecting
Creatives presents the opportunity to refresh your

The Creative Quarter offers a fantastic range of
gifts, artworks and activities, and Open Quarter
is a great opportunity to treat yourself! With a
creative market, an exhibition by the University
of Creative Arts and friendly Creative Quarter staff
on hand to point you in the right direction, you
won’t have trouble finding something to do. After

From Saturday 20th June to Sunday 21st June,
you're invited to explore this enterprising creative
hub with many of the artists holding open studios;
find out about their methods, what inspires them,
and why Folkestone is a great place to be a
working artist. Discover hidden gems, new
favourite shops or maybe get a full body massage.

an enjoyable adventure, be sure to sample the
amazing food and drink on offer, ranging from
gourmet burgers to tapas, coffee and real ale!
Finally, don’t miss the free BBQ and live music
in Payers Park on Saturday 20th June from 1pm
in celebration of Open Quarter and the Folkestone
Artworks: New Editions launch, which now
features 27 permanent artworks in the public
realm of Folkestone. With 1,000 sausages, 10
family activities, and live music from Creative
Quarter musicians, Open Quarter will be kicking
off the summer in style!
To find out more, go to
www.creativequarterfolkestone.org.uk.
@CQ_folkestone

South East Open Studios
Now in its 19th successful year, South East Open Studios (SEOS)
has announced its next event will take place from 5th to 21st
June 2015.
SEOS is a not-for-profit artist-led organisation
that allows the public to visit artists’ studios, view
their work, and meet the artists in person. There
will be a wide range of work on show from the
322 artists that have signed up this year, from
traditional oil and watercolours to ceramics, textiles
and metalwork.

artists are exhibiting will also be included, which
allows you to plan your own route depending on
which artists really capture your interest; Paul
highly recommends taking a bit of time to plan
this route in advance, including lunch stops! You
can view this guide as a flipbook or downloadable
PDF file too at www.seos-art.org.

Paul Williams, chairman of SEOS, says: “We’re
looking forward to another successful year of
SEOS; the artists that sign up are so talented and
passionate about what they do; this event makes
for a fantastic day out for visitors.”

There will be pieces of art on sale at the studios
but it’s stressed that there is no obligation to buy;
the experience is designed to open your mind to
art and leave your head full of inspiration! This is
a great opportunity for all art and craft lovers and
is a great family day out. It only lasts for 17 days,
so pick up a guide and open your mind to art this
summer!

Visiting is free to the public and a full colour guide
was published and distributed throughout the
SEOS area this May. This guide includes a
description of each artist’s work, with contact
details, travel directions and maps. The dates the

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@SEOpenStudios