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Since 1994 Strange Cargo has developed distinctive ways of developing and delivering projects in the public realm with genuine community engagement and involvement, while still retaining the integrity of the artwork. Relating work in the public realm to its environment is a fundamental aspect of any brief, and Strange Cargo is able to work closely with commissioners to devise practical creative solutions to bringing site specific work into new build scenarios and regeneration initiatives.
'Folkestone: the Cultural Quarter' by Celia Davies:
Strange Cargo is Folkestone's long established resident arts company with a gallery and base within the cultural quarter. They have a particular interest in taking art out of the gallery, including small scale temporary installations and large scale regeneration projects, always with the proviso that it says something interesting, belongs to its location and engages with people. In 2005 Strange Cargo received the Rouse Award for Public Art in the South East for Like the Back of My Hand, a 50 metre long installation on the frontage of Folkestone Central Station. This Millennium project incorporates 101 bronze hand casts of Shepway residents aged from 1 to 100 years old in the year 2000, each born in a different year of the last century, and including the first baby born in the year 2000. Commenting on the award winning work Dr. Stephen Deuchar, Director of Tate Britain said, "Like the Back of My Hand is a clever, inspiring work of art rooted both in Folkestone's contemporary community and in its history. It does what art in public places should surely do: it enhances its location aesthetically, it engages with its viewers daily and directly, it has something to say, and it is widely enjoyed. It is also an example of how a work of art can be an instrument of urban regeneration - in this instance something as basic as the physical improvement of the station premises, a model of collaboration between artists and funding authorities."
excerpt from "Art & Architecture Journal No. 63 Autumn 2005"