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Dreamland is a place you might go to watch the
coolest band, as well as the coolest vintage band.
HemingwayDesign she will also be thriving
on the visuals of a vintage amusement park
as she draws and documents the area during
a three month artist residency. “I’m just going
to go there and paint. I’m literally only taking
out a sketchbook and just sort of going for
it - seeing what happens, and being there
everyday and drawing,” she says.
Beetson has made several trips to Coney
Island, which is home to the famous Cyclone
rollercoaster, the Wonder Wheel and the
beachside eatery Paul’s Daughter (formerly
Gregory and Paul’s). The latter has a statue
of a giant, cartoon-esque man holding a
burger aloft on its roof, and flamboyant signs
advertising the menu. Though perennially
repainted, these signs always have a bright,
handmade and almost naïve quality to them.
“Because everything’s so gaudy and
bright and colourful, when it gets old it gets
more beautiful,” explains Sarah Beetson. “It’s
sort of like when a piece of clothing is loved
for 20 years and it becomes vintage. It looks
totally different from something you would
just buy and was made to replicate it.”
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HemingwayDesign
Pinball Parlour Visual
ABOVE
www.dreamlandmargate.com
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HemingwayDesign
Event Space Visual
IT’S GOT TO BE FRESH
Back in Margate, although they’re restoring
a collection of historic rides, it’s not purely
about replicating the past. “What we don’t
want it to be is pure museum, otherwise
you’re restricting things,” explains Wayne
Hemingway. “So I think we’ve got to respect
the past and show the best of the past and
show some history but also we’ve got to
remember that not everybody is obsessed
with the past. So it’s got to feel of today as
well.”
Alongside the historic rides the park is
scheduled to open with, in between there will
be sideshows, artworks, a pinball arcade and
food stalls. In fact, the latter is being carefully
considered. The Hemingways are looking for
the best take on seaside ice cream, and the
finest modern examples of traditional food for
the park.
British youth culture is also to play a
large role in what they’ll present. With its
lovely beach, Margate was a destination for
Teddy Boys in the 50s, and hosted the biggest
ever melee between mods and rockers in the
1960s. This year sees the 50th anniversary of
that battle. The disco, ska, skinhead and punk
scenes all helped shape the town’s culture in
the 70s and 80s.
With this in mind, Dreamland will host
festivals and music events. With a fantastic
fin that reaches up into the sky, the Art Deco
architecture of Dreamland’s old cinema
building will once again be a beacon signalling
fun. “It’s a place you might go to watch the
coolest band, as well as the coolest vintage
band,” says Wayne Hemingway. “Whenever
you go to Dreamland there will be some event
taking place, whether it’s a classic car show
or a food festival. The main thing is that it’s
got to feel really creative and well-designed
and thought-out. Everything’s got to have
excitement, and things you want to take a
picture of and tell your friends about.”
You can support Sarah Beetson’s crowd-funded Coney
Island residency at http:/
/tinyurl.com/mrr39qg.
To find out more about Dreamland Margate, visit
www.dreamlandmargate.com.
Hemingway Design: www.hemingwaydesign.co.uk.
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