Animations created by 75 Thanet youngsters will adorn walls along Northdown Road and the High Street in Margate as part of the celebration of Margate hosting Turner Prize 2019.
Turner Contemporary will be the venue for the prestigious art prize from this September.
In the run up to the event the gallery has teamed up with Kent County Council, Thanet District Council, Dreamland Margate and isle artists and organisations to create a programme of events.
Margate based theatre company 1927 will map the vivid animations onto buildings around Northdown Road and the High Street. Open School East will also work with Cliftonville residents to create an artwork on Northdown Road.
The Margate Festival, which has been running since 2013, will be expanded with a significant increase in open calls for isle artists and new artworks throughout Margate. Festival organisers will also connect artists with businesses, taking the programme across the town. Dreamland will hold two special, evening events during the autumn to mark the Turner Prize in Margate.
Turner Contemporary will commission an artist to develop a new digital artwork, inspired by JMW Turner’s passion for technological innovation. The gallery, and commissioned artist, will work with members of the public at Kent libraries and shopping centres to produce the work. It is anticipated that it will appear on Turner Contemporary’s building during the autumn season.
Once the town wide programme is in place, Turner Contemporary will also work with children and a designer to create a child’s view of the town, resulting in a map drawn from their perspective. The gallery will train some 150 new volunteers who will greet visitors and act as guides to all the events across the town.
‘Thrilled’
The programme is being funded by £219,000 from the National Lottery, via the Arts Council, as well as further contributions from Kent County Council, Thanet District Council and Dreamland Margate.
Clive Stevens, Chair of Board of Trustees at Turner Contemporary, said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded funding to deliver this ambitious programme of activity in collaboration with such an impressive range of partners. The programme is designed to inspire absolutely everyone to connect to Turner Prize 2019 as well as to expand Margate’s visitor offer with art, creativity and innovation, encouraging people to visit throughout the year. With such an unmissable line-up, we anticipate an unforgettable Autumn Season in 2019 at Turner Contemporary.”
The programme will be launched at Pie Factory Margate on Friday, February 15 from 5pm to 8pm. The Margate Festival team will also be available to discuss the project from Saturday, February 16 to Wednesday, February 20 from 11am to 3pm each day.