insideKENT Magazine Issue 62 - May 2017 | Page 166

CHARITY
Kent Charity Profile:
CREATIVE FOUNDATION
ART AND CHARITY MAY NOT SEEM LIKE THE MOST LIKELY OF PARTNERSHIPS,
BUT IN REALITY ART-BASED CHARITIES ARE ABLE TO HELP A GREAT NUMBER
OF PEOPLE IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS. WE SPOKE TO KENT CHARITY
THE CREATIVE FOUNDATION TO FIND OUT MORE. interview by Lisamarie Lamb
Family Printing Workshop at Block 67,
Folkestone Creative Quarter, June 2016,
photo by Ben Hart
The Folkestone Mermaid
by Cornelia Parker
What is it that the Creative Foundation does?
The Creative Foundation is an independent
arts charity dedicated to enabling the
regeneration of Folkestone through creative
activity. Working with the people of
Folkestone, our partners and other
stakeholders, we are transforming the town
making it a better place to live, work, visit and
study.
What are some of the projects that the
Creative Foundation is involved with?
The Creative Foundation looks after five
projects: Creative Quarter, our community of
artists and creative industry businesses;
Folkestone Triennial, one of the UK’s most
ambitious visual arts exhibitions; Folkestone
Artworks, our permanent collection of 27
works around the town; Quarterhouse,
Folkestone’s premier arts centre; Folkestone
Book Festival, our celebration of books and
exchange of ideas.
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The Quarterhouse is your flagship building
– how did it come about?
Quarterhouse, the Foundation’s arts centre,
provides the artistic content for Folkestone’s
creative community in a vibrant hub at the
heart of the Quarter. The varied programme,
from comedy to theatre along with dance and
music, attracts a very diverse audience from
all sections of Folkestone and Hythe, along
with people from the other urban areas around
the town including Deal, Dover and Ashford.
What shows should we look out for at the
Quarterhouse in 2017?
We look forward to welcoming back the third
edition of Normal? Festival of the Brain (25th
– 28th May) bringing science and art together
to wonder at the brain, our habits and
behaviours. We have three Edinburgh preview
comedy shows featuring comedians such as
Matt Richardson, Alex Smith, Matt Forde and
Annie Mc Grath. Seven National Theatre Live
screenings, a rich programme of family and
theatre shows, including Frauke Requardt’s
Mothers, as well as music gigs by Hannah
Peel, Marriachi Tequila, Namlo and The
Hackney Colliery Band.
Why is a charity like the Creative Foundation
needed?
The Creative Foundation believes that
everyone is creative, and that creativity has
the power to change people and places for
the better. With this passion for creativity at
its heart, the Foundation enables people’s
creativity to flourish, enriching the town and
those who live in or visit it and so transform
Folkestone’s reputation.
What is the charity’s history?
Established in 2002, the Creative Foundation
has a remarkable record of success having
already transformed the most run down part
of Folkestone. Ninety buildings have been
restored in the Creative Quarter, and
Quarterhouse, a performance venue for music,