Thanet Council has sent me details of a major new competition to help revitalise Margate Old Town, and they want your help.

The Old Town is an architectural gem and at the heart of Margate’s cultural regeneration, but it is hidden from the view of people visiting he nearby beach, amusement arcades and High Street.

The competition, run by Margate Renewal Partnership aims to reveal this hidden gem to a wider audience. They are looking to commission an innovative piece of work that that is imaginative and artistic and will sign post the Old Town, subtly transforming it without losing its character.

Derek Harding, the Programme Director of the Margate Renewal Partnership says:

We know that there’s a great deal going on in Margate’s creative industries at the moment. They’re at the heart of the town’s regeneration and are helping to change the face of the Old Town beyond recognition from a few years ago, when it was falling into dereliction. The Margate Renewal Partnership is aiming to take that
regeneration forward and we want artists and designers involved in that process. That’s why we want to hear from them, so we can ensure that they’re kept up to date with the work the Partnership is undertaking, but also so that they have the opportunity to get involved in a major project to help promote the Old Town.

To receive the full project brief, contact Margate Renewal Partnership on 01843 609336 or by e-mailing mandy.cronje@thanet.gov.uk.

Some good news for redevelopment followers – this press release just in from Thanet District Council:

Plans have been submitted by Thanet District Council for a derelict and underused area in Margate Old Town.

The application, for Queens Arms Yard, proposes a mixed use development of three and four storey buildings, which will house a café, bar or restaurant, along with 10 retail units or art studios and a total of 24 apartments.

The plans are part of the ongoing regeneration of Margate Old Town by the Council and the Margate Renewal Partnership to create a Cultural Quarter to complement Turner Contemporary. Artists have been involved in helping to draw up the plans of the retail units and art studios to ensure that they meet their needs.

Cllr. Roger Latchford, Cabinet Member for Economy and Culture, said: “The Council and Margate Renewal Partnership are working hard to regenerate Margate and a crucial part of that work is the creation of a Cultural Quarter in the Old Town. There’s no doubt that the work is starting to pay dividends there, with new businesses opening all the time and increasing occupancy levels. Obviously these plans will need to be considered carefully by our Planning Officers to ensure that the best scheme is achieved for everyone. The development of this site will help to bring an area, that’s been a target for fly tippers for some time, back into use, attracting both new businesses and residents into our beautiful Old Town.”

Copies of the application can be viewed at Margate library, Thanet District Council’s offices in Margate or online at www.ukplanning.com and members of the public can give their views on the planning application until Friday 31 August.

It’s arrived, but not quite at the state some of us expected. Even though we will have to wait several more months to see the completed design, David Chipperfield’s presentation seemed to hit the mark for most of the audience who crammed into the Winter Gardens to see the latest plans for Turner Contemporary.

Mike Hill opened the presentation with a brief introduction to the project. He spoke passionately about his role in the project, and despite the usual comparisons with St Ives and Bilbao, he came across as someone with a genuine determination to succeed.

[audio:mikehill.mp3]

Following Mike Hill’s introduction, it was time for Victoria Pomery, director of Turner Contemporary to reiterate the Turner vision. She estimated that 130,000 visitors would visit in an average year, bringing at least £2 million for local businesses each year – the gallery itself would have a permenant staff of 35.

“The building has been driven by the need to design a gallery for presenting historical and contemporary art of the highest calibre that also offers a fantastic visitor experience. What we’re creating is a destination, and a programme, that visitors will want to return to again and again.”

Most crucially she outlined the work it will hold – a range of temporary modern and classic exhibitions, and guaranteed that there would be works by Turner present all year round (sourced from the Tate and private collections). Construction is scheduled to begin at the end of summer 2008, with the gallery open to the public in 2010.

[audio:victoriapommery.mp3]

Eventually, David Chipperfield, the guest speaker for the evening, took to the stage. Below is a full recording of his talk, but here’s some of the most important points.

• The design is still in the process of development – there is still work to do.
• “The rendezvous site is blessed. We couldn’t have a more beautiful view of the sea”
• One his major challenges is to connect the site with the town. The fort hill carriage way may be altered to make the gallery more accessible from the old town.
• They have quite a limited area to build in – they have to make room for the lifeboat slipway.
• Yet with every problem comes a hidden benefit – they have to set the building 2 meters above the ground level to avoid flooding, so they are planning a large ramp which will act as as access to gallery as well as acting as a large public square/terrace with outdoor artwork.
• He wants to build a “cultural community centre” – his has no problem attracting people already into art, his main aim is to draw those who aren’t.
• On the previous design: “You can make an idea of what you want to build – but without rubbing salt in the wound – to some degree that was the strategy of the first project – there was a bold beautiful idea that then tried to be realised – but the technical issues were not black and white” – Chipperfield has worked the other way round – he has accepted the complicated conditions of the site and worked from that basis.
• There are conflicts between designing a building and a gallery – gallery curators don’t like windows, but architects and visitors do. He has to find the middle ground between these points.
• There will be a large cantilever balcony/terrace on the north (sea) side.
• There will be three floors. The ground floor will be a multifunction space (including a lecture space, cafe and shop), the first floor will be an educational/didactic floor and the second floor will be an environmentally controlled “sanctuary” where works by Turner and other major exhibitions will be displayed.

[audio:davidchipperfield.mp3]

David Chipperfield is the architect of the moment – he has designed some of the best recent examples of contemporary architecture and is involved in the creation of countless more. He was down to earth, rational, witty and pragmatic – he has an architectural reputation for perfection – his bold design for Turner Contemporary showed clarity and confidence.

“We are very excited with the designs. The challenge has been to create a building that responds to the opportunities of the site. We are confident that this design makes the most of site’s potential and remains sensitive to its unique setting.”

With barely time to catch his breath, the audience was permitted to put their questions to David and the other speakers (as well as other officials including Roger Gale and Sandy Ezekiel). Some of the more interesting points raised during the Q&A session included:

• The issue of transport between Margate station and Turner Contemporary. Sandy Ezekiel confirmed that investigations are being made into a shuttle service and a walkway between the two sites.
• Mike Hill stated that a landscape architect is involved in devising a plan for the rest of the rendezvous site – we can expect a total transformation of the whole area.
• Work is already under way to connect the Rendezvous site with the old town – at the moment it will be done with schemes of lighting, paving and banners – closer to the time this should become more substantial (including alterations to the fort hill carriage way).

The best exchange of all was from Wendy Allen – one of a trio of curmudgeons from the Independent Action Party who had been generally discourteous throughout the entire presentation. She offered a wonderfully turgid record of her local campaigning, from which she concluded that 99% of Thanet residents were opposed to the gallery, to which she received a strong rebuke from Sandy Ezekiel and Mike Hill (who in turn received the biggest applause of the evening). You will understand I don’t mind criticism towards the plan, but this was particularly cringe worthy – here it is in it’s glorious entirety.

[audio:question.mp3]

Until the embargo on images is lifted, I am unable to post the latest plans, but they will be posted as soon as they become available.

Mike Nelson who has previously exhibited in Margate has been named in this year’s Turner Prize shortlist.

His 2005 installation “Spanning Fort Road and Mansion Street – Between a Formula and a Code”, which was commissioned by Turner Contemporary, saw Nelson occupy a large portion of Fort Road (just off Margate seafront) to create a dark, mysterious maze of hydroponics and primitive dark rooms.

The installation, called Spanning Fort Road and Mansion Street: Between a Formula and a Code, also includes rooms kitted out as primitive darkrooms, hung with hundreds of photographs of the sea, sky and buildings of Margate, as if the result of a covert, obscure and possibly deranged surveillance project.

Nelson said at the time,

“Maybe people will hate it here… But I think people like digging round in old spaces. If they can get past the horrible idea it’s art I think they’ll enjoy it.”

Regardless of your view towards the Turner Prize, it is hugely encouraging to see that Margate continually attracts artists like Nelson, who go on to great acclaim.

Other Turner winners and nominees to work in Margate include Antony Gormley (1994 winner and proponent of The Margate Exodus), Jeremy Deller (2004 winner behind the Steam-Powered Internet Machine) and of course Tracy Emin (1999 nominee) – I’d better give Turner, the man himself, a mention too!

Read about “Spanning Fort Road and Mansion Street – Between a Formula and a Code” on Guardian Unlimited (and more on Mike Nelson) and this years Turner Prize shortlist at BBC News.

Update 24/05: Victoria Pomery, Director of Turner Contemporary said

“We are delighted that Mike Nelson is on this year’s Turner Prize shortlist and are committed to working with artists to create new and innovative works in Margate”.

With reference to my last post here’s some further information about the fantastic Coast on Camera walks and exhibitions.

The first walk between the Lido and Margate Harbour takes place on Tuesday 10 April, starting at 11am on the green opposite Fort Crescent in Cliftonville.

The Ramsgate walk meeting at the obelisk by the casino on Sunday 13 May at 2.30pm will take people from the Royal Harbour to Dumpton Gap.

The third walk taking place on Sunday 9 June, starting at midday. The meeting point is the slope to Botany Bay at the end of Botany Bay Road and the walk will take a route around the coast towards Kingsgate Bay.

The final walk is on Saturday 7 July at 11am, meeting at the green opposite Fort Crescent in Cliftonville. This walk, which will take in the stretch of coastline between the Lido and Margate Harbour, is aimed at the under 16′s, who must be accompanied by an adult to take part. Each walk will last two and a half hours.

You can book your place for the Coast on Camera walks at www.thanetcoast.org.uk or call 01843 577672. You should bring your own cameras, but I’m told there will be disposable cameras provided if anyone needs one.

Thanks to last year’s successful SeaART exhibition at IOTA, our coast will be caught on camera this spring as part of a coastal walks scheme organised by the Thanet Coast Project.

The Coast on Camera walks will be led by artist Ruth Cutler and the aim is to use photos taken on these walks as part of this summer’s SeaART 2007.
SeaART 2007 will feature contemporary art works exhibited by local artists inspired by the coast. The exhibition will take place this August and is run in conjunction with Isle of Thanet Arts (IOTA). The Thanet Coast Project is keen for local people to snap images for a complementary photoSeaART section to the exhibition, and the three themes include:

• The nature of our coast
• Human impact on the coast
• Textures and light

To record your interest to submit an image, contact the Thanet Coast Project before 21 July on 01843 577672 or thanet.coast@thanet.gov.uk

The group of artists known as Limbo, who have hosted shows at their Substation Project Space since 2003, are inviting artists to be involved in their next humour-themed show, “Stink Bomb”.

“Stink Bomb” launches on April 1st and promises to “engage with the audiences’ sense of humour while acknowledging and exploring the way that jokes and art create the fear of being the butt of the joke or not getting it”.

The show is open to all artists living and working in the UK. Check out their website for further information and details of how to submit work.

The theme of this show bares a strong similarity to the position that Margate finds itself. Beneath the criticism of cultural regeneration, there is a worry that Margate is the “butt of the joke” - somehow art is a sick joke thrust upon it. It’s not true. Art is a force for good and for prosperity. An active local art community can dispel the fear and strengthen the message that art isn’t always elitist or confusing – its something that normal people from Thanet do.

I read a comment that “artistic & cultural movement starts at the bottom up” – it’s true! Consider this your call – lets prove that this artistic groundswell exists, that we can change our town. If you live in Margate, or are looking at Margate as somewhere to start a project… a group… an event… a band… a magazine…a film… a gallery… a business: lets get to work.

At six yesterday evening, the switch was flicked and the last instalment of Turner Contemporary’s Arrivals series burst to life.
TURN. to colour, the latest work of Maltese artist, Norbert Francis Attard consists of painted doors and windows along the pier, and a one off light installation that appeared to paste the vivid colours onto the black night sky, making visible that which is seen by day. I was impressed.

By now it is too late to enjoy the light installation, but the spectrum of colours (themselves inspired by Margate and Turner’s paintings) will remain – as the official write-up suggests, “the economy of this gesture is captivating – redefining the pier as a focal point for the town”.

It will be interesting to see how this work is received by the town. The commission was well worth the effort; the pier looks far nicer (dare I say, very attractive), but it’s sad that we had to wait until now to see the pier kept to a respectable standard.

Might I suggest that we retain some element of the light installation as a permenant feature? Given the right treatment, the pier could become an impressive icon for the town.

Find out more about Norbert Attard at his website.
Read more about the work at Turner Contemporary