A Seaside Year launches in Folkestone

Folkestone is to see a new creative project arrive in the town this winter with the launch of A Seaside Year bringing twelve months of new performing arts events and activities to the town.

Four key scheduled events for Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn will make up the programme for A Seaside Year, which is organised by local company Futuredream Media.

The first event A Seaside Year: Winter will take place in December with artist Lottie Child exploring what the community thinks about Folkestone’s Old Town. This thought provoking event will invite local residents to speak with Lottie at the People’s History Centre on The Old High Street between Monday 4th December and Thursday 7th December.

Lottie will gain a sense of identity for Folkestone’s Old Town area, through the thoughts, memories and narratives of its people, by speaking to them and going for walks around the Tontine Street / Old High Street area. Lottie says, “My question is how does the built environment shape our behaviour, movement and thoughts? I would like a variety of people to take me for a walk around Folkestone and show me the town as they inhabit it. From these walks, I will create a trail with activities for participants to try.” Lottie is looking for a wide variety of people to speak to and can be contacted by sending an email to lottie@seasideyear.co.uk or by telephoning 0796 201 2822

The result of Lottie’s interviews with residents will be a trail for all of the community to participate in on Saturday 9th December. Participants will be armed with a map, clues and their wits to follow the trail, which will be available from the People’s History Centre and other locations in the Old Town and harbour area between 10am and 3pm.

Director, Cathy Westbrook from Futuredream Media, located in Folkestone, says; “A Seaside Year: Winter is a great opportunity to help create and experience an alternative “winter wonderland” walk of Folkestone. The trails will be available on Saturday 9th December. With lots of other traditional goings-on in the town in the run up to Christmas, this will be something quirky and off-beat for people to explore.”

The results of A Seaside Year: Winter, will also be archived at the People’s History Centre as an oral narrative of Folkestone’s history, building up the long-term history of Folkestone for future generations.

More Seaside Year for 2007

The Winter event launches A Seaside Year. There will be more activities to get involved in as the year progresses. Artist-in-residence, Geraldine Pilgrim, will be following the events and working with various groups to look in more detail at some of the ideas which arise. There will be performances on 31st March, 4th August and 27th October 2007. For more information see seasideyear.co.uk

pauly :: 2006 :: Comment / reply