insideKENT Magazine Issue 49 - April 2016 | Page 94

VISITKENT

The Isle of Thanet
HISTORY AND CULTURE ABOUND IN THIS THRIVING CORNER OF KENT
Comprising three main towns in North East Kent (Margate, Broadstairs,
and Ramsgate), Thanet is growing in popularity – it’s a great place to live,
work, and visit because of its arts, entertainment, culture and community.

three Thanet towns aims to bring together not only the local population,
but to entice people from further afield to come and see what Thanet has
to offer in terms of entertainment and the arts. Shows include street
performers at Westwood Cross Shopping Centre, The Life and Death of
a British Martyr at Margate’s Tom Thumb Theatre (one of the smallest
theatres in the world), the Vamos mask workshop, and the WildThings
Family Day in Broadstairs.

The Looping the Loop Festival, for example, is exactly what Thanet is all
about (www.loopingtheloopfestival.org.uk). This festival of world-class
theatre and performance that runs from 23rd April to 2nd May across all

MARGATE

Margate Old Town

A Touch of Glass

© Thanet Tourism

Turner Contemporary

Margate Harbour

Perhaps the most famous of all attractions in
Margate is the iconic Turner Contemporary art
gallery (www.turnercontemporary.org). On 16th
April this catalyst for creative activity (giving it the
honour of being Kent’s most creative coast) will
celebrate its fifth anniversary, and there are plenty
of events for everyone to enjoy.
On 16th April, the big day itself, why not visit
Turner Contemporary to ‘see the world differently’
and celebrate with a day of live performances,
music, stalls, workshops, talks, and much more.
If you want to join in further, there will be a
quivering Tarantism flash mob inspired by Joachim
Koester: The Other Side of the Sky.
Turner Contemporary isn’t the only gallery in
Margate. There are many different places to enjoy
all types of art including Lovelys Gallery, Pie
Factory, Resort Studios, Limbo and Crate, and
Lombard Street Gallery. These fantastically
enjoyable independent galleries have work from
newcomers and established artists both from
Thanet itself, and from the wider area. No matter

Rock 'n' Blues Festival

what kind of art you are into, Margate, Ramsgate,
and Broadstairs will have at least one gallery that
you won’t want to miss.
Margate is all about community, and what better
way to become one of the artists based here
than to have a go yourself? There are plenty of
creative activities to join in with, and you might
be surprised with what you can achieve. One
such event is the junior fuser sessions at A Touch
of Glass – this is where you can introduce your
child to the wonder of glass working; on the day
they will be able to design and create their own
glass panel which will be sent to them after being
fired. This is a particular popular event, running
during the school holidays on Tuesdays and
Thursdays, so booking is essential (£17.50 per
child – www.visitthanet.co.uk/events).
A Touch of Glass caters to adults as well, and
there are some excellent beginners’ courses
available – give your creativity a chance to be
seen as you learn how to cut and create your
own glass panel design. The course costs £130

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and you will end up with a beautiful glass creation
all of your own.
If batique (a special way of dying fabric using
wax) or paper making appeal, then Margate can
offer you this too. Visit Crafted Naturally and book
onto one or both of their exceptional courses
which will not only give you a fun day out, but
will send you home with some beautiful creations.
Course prices are from £10 per hour and need
to be booked in advance due to their popularity.
Margate is a musical town, and this is never more
evident than when the festivals are playing. In
June, enjoy the Rock 'n' Blues Festival, and in
August the genre changes for its special Soul
Festival, followed by the Margate Jazz Festival
in September. Even Dreamland, Margate's
premier family attraction, doesn't miss out – on
7th May, Fifty Shades of Day' will be a party
hosted by Roger Day in the beautifully restored
1920's ballroom – so get your dancing shoes on
and join in the fun!