A survey by ‘Future Laboratory’ has named Margate as one of the ‘Top 20 Creative Towns and Cities’ in the UK.

Margate is ranked at number 19 in the list and also puts Margate in the ‘Top 10 Towns to Watch’ alongside towns such as Liverpool, Glasgow and Cardiff.

It describes Margate as:

“starting to reap the benefits of its most famous local artist; the ‘Tracey Emin effect’ is causing arts funding to flood into the town.”

It highlights the development of Turner Contemporary, the filming of Exodus and Arts Solutions, which was run in collaboration with Thanet District Council and aimed to regenerate the area and develop a creative economy, as reasons why Margate made it on to the list.

Councillor Roger Latchford said:

“Margate’s positioning amongst the top 20 creative towns and cities in the UK just shows how far the town has come over the last few years. We want to see Margate becoming a creative hub for Thanet and the whole of Kent and the development of Turner Contemporary will bring a major visual arts gallery to the town, attracting a whole new audience here.

This study also highlights the economic benefits that we know culture can bring to an area and that’s why we want to establish Margate at the heart of culture in this region. It talks about signs of regeneration being seen with house prices increasing and new shops and restaurants opening and, perhaps most importantly, how the government are now looking at cultural growth areas, which could lead to funding opportunities.”