The Resident Platform #5
Artist Gayle Chong Kwan and four retired Cheriton residents will be unveiling two sculptures at Folkestone West railway station on 23rd November. Strange Cargo’s The Resident Platform is an ongoing artist in resident programme which brings together professional artists and local people to create sculptures for the station. Supported by Arts Council England, Folkestone Town Council, Kent Community Foundation, Age UK and Southeastern Railways.
Please support Charivari Day 2023
Please support our crowdfunding campaign to release funds so that this year’s amazing Charivari carnival cah happen. Donate here.
Welcome to Strange Cargo
A Very Croydon Christmas
Join us and @culturecroydon for a festive extravaganza on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th December as Croydon unveils a seasonal celebration for the entire community! 🎉🏛️
Expect music, performances, stories, crafts, and creative activities led by artists, voluntary and community groups, and faith organisations. 🤝🌟
We’re thrilled to be involved and bringing a unique light installation by Richie Moment to the celebrations on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th
Canterbury Christmas Light Parade
To mark the beginning of the festive season, Strange Cargo took to the streets of Canterbury with six huge Aladdin puppets created with ECK Canterbury College and our artist team.
Delivering masterclass workshops with teachers, the parade also saw more than 200 light up costumes made by local schools bobbing along the streets.
Supported by Canterbury BID.
Charivari Day is coming!!!
It’s not long now. Synchronise your watches, because at 2pm on Saturday 15th July Charivari Day, Strange Cargo’s summer carnival will be hitting the streets. This year’s theme is A Very British Rhythm and in partnership with Museum of Colour the carnival will celebrate the influence on British dance of people of colour from around the world. So come along and enjoy spotting the references to dance, music and festivals in the many wonderful costumes made by young people from across the district. It’s gonna be so good! Enormous thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund and everyone that plays the National Lottery, to Folkestone & Hythe District Council, Folkestone Town Council, Kent County Council, Kent Community Foundation, Roger De Haan Charitable Trust and Creative Folkestone, Folkestone Rotary Club, Folkestone and Hythe Hotel and Catering Association, The Chambers for their support.
Resident Platform #4
The fourth in our programme of artist residencies was celebrated in early June 2023 with the unveiling of two new bronze artworks for Folkestone West station in Cheriton. We enjoyed our first European collaboration since Brexit by working with partners at artconnexion in Lille, Flemish artist Patrick Corillon, and secondary school students from College Turgot in Denain, France and Harvey Grammar in Cheriton to create these wonderful additions to the growing line-up of artworks. The Resident Platform is Strange Cargo’s ambitious programme to share our methods of participatory engagement with other professional artist and to ensure local people become more visible within the cultural offer of where they live. With support from Kent County Council Straits programme and Southeastern Trains.
Resident Platform #3
Join us for the unveilling of two new sculptures as part of The Resident Platform #3 artist in residence programme for Cheriton. Long Distance Press, the artists in residence Adam Shield and Tom Whittle, are joined by staff from Cheriton Library who created the partner sculpture. Folkestone West station on Friday 19th May at 12.30pm. The ceremony will be followed by tea and refreshments in the Venice-Simplon Orient Express waiting room.
The Resident Platform #2
Kira Freije
Sculpture Unveiling
The next artist whose sculpture will be unveiled is Kira Freije. Her artwork Catcher will be the partner sculpture for Church and Chapel, which was created by Cheriton Road Cemetery Volunteers. The group made their piece at Strange Cargo’s workshop as a celebration of all the things that they enjoy about volunteering at Folkestone’s largest cemetery; the butterflies and other insects and animals, the flowers and the stories people tell them. All of these inspirations are visible in the sculpture which were cast into bronze at a local foundry.
The project was curated by Richie Moment and generously funded by the Genesis Kickstart Fund. https://genesisfoundation.org.uk/genesis-kickstart-fund-projects
The Resident Platform #3
LONG DISTANCE PRESS EXHIBITION -
POST MARKS
Strange Cargo is delighted to present POST MARKS, an exhibition by Long Distance Press as part of The Resident Platform programme. Please join us for the Private View, 6-9pm Thursday 30th March.
The exhibition is a celebration of the last 10 years of Long Distance Press and will include; postcards made/sent over the past 10 years between the artists, banner works, artist made publications, drawings and paintings. All of these elements will hang together, to create an immersive installation at Strange Cargo’s Gallery in Cheriton.
The Resident Platform is an artist in residence programme that seeks to share forms of participatory practice. Whilst in residence, LDP will be be based in Cheriton, a suburb of Folkestone, on the southeast coast
The Resident Platform #3 has been supported by Arts Council England, Folkestone and Hythe District Council, Southeastern Trains.
The Elephant in the Room
The Elephant in the Room exhibition is open until 18th February at Strange Cargo’s Cheriton Gallery, where the walls are filled with colourful, framed pictures of areas within walking distance of the Leas Lift, a reminder of the places we will all find much easier to get to once the Lift is working again. Participants of all ages, from Mind, The Beacon, Touchbase, Age UK were involved in creating artwork for the gallery. Many older people remembered using the lift, “I always thought of it as the worlds slowest white-knuckle ride” recalled one participant. But everyone had either fond memories of its creaky, clanky sounds; or were hotly anticipating their first ride on it when it reopens in 2025.
Visitors to the exhibition can add their views to the consultation process, and also enjoy old photographs and Leas Lift memorabilia, together with a set of new floor panels, created by Strange Cargo for the restored Leas Lift building. And why is it called The Elephant in the Room? This will be revealed in the exhibition! Strange Cargo look forward to your visit.
Rolling Down the River
On Friday 27th and Saturday 28th January 2023 on St George’s Green, a grassy pocket park in Gravesend’s Heritage Quarter, Strange Cargo will be rolling in for Voyage of Light - Gravesend’s second light festival, with our light and water inspired installation. Spot the beautiful flock of lantern swans, Thames Barge inspired silk sails and Old Father Thames, all bathed in the ebb and flow of light effects, the sounds of the river and sea shanties. Thanks to Bigfoot Productions, Gravesham Council and PLL PRS.
New Dover Guidebook
Calling the people of Dover! We would love to hear your Dover stories, as Strange Cargo is making an Everywhere Means Something to Someone people’s guidebooks to Dover. Not an ordinary guidebook but one filled with hundreds of local stories and photos about places in and around the town that you know well.
We’ve already made four guidebooks for other places and are extremely excited to be making a Dover version to capture all the things about your town that make it feel like home. Please tell us the kinds of interesting family stories and local anecdotes about places that you’d tell your best friend visiting for the first time.
Please send us a message or email us info@strangecargo.org.uk if you want to know more about getting involved. It’s fun, easy and together we can make something very special for Dover. Everyone that contributes will have their name printed in the book. Please share with your friends.
Thanks to Dover Town Council.
The Resident Platform #1
Charley Vines was the first The Resident Platform artist in residence, a programme that shares Strange Cargo’s participatory skills with professional artists through a sculpture programme for Folkestone West station. Her sculpture Grandma’s Table and a second sculpture called Pincushion created by Strange Cargo and 20 Cheriton residents, sit adjacent to each other on the obsolete roof canopy plinths at the station. Thanks to Andrew Baldwin Foundry; sponsors Arts Council England, Kent County Council, Folkestone Town Council and Southeastern Railways. Photo by Andy Jones.
The Borrowed Condition
Kira Freije is showing a solo exhibition of new work as part of The Resident Platform artist in residence programme at Strange Cargo Gallery in Cheriton
Kira Freije (1985, lives and works in London, UK) links the material language and process of sculpture-making to written poetic structure. Meaning occurs through sculptural constellations of the universally recognisable and memory driven; the figure, the domestic, the natural world. Permeating all these subjects is the feeling of desire concealed. Open 6th August to 24th September. Friday & Saturday 12-4pm.
Book your place for our summer workshops
Otterpool Park LLP has teamed up with Strange Cargo to run some new free craft workshops at Westenhanger Castle throughout the school summer holidays.
Otterpool Green Stars (OGS) is a new initiative that encourages young people to think about their environment and the future. The events are the first of a series of OGS activities and will be held every Tuesday throughout the holidays, from 26 July, from 11am to 2pm. They are suitable for children aged 4 and over.
Thanks to John Baker at Photon Films for his video capturing the magic of the return of Strange Cargo’s Charivari Day carnival to the streets of Folkestone in July 2022, following the pandemic. A sheer delight for everyone involved.
Charivari Day 2022
After a two year break, Folkestone’s amazing Charivari street carnival is back on Saturday 16th July. Setting off from The Stade at 2pm and following a route up The Old High Street, through The Lanterns, Sandgate Road, West Terrace, where the parade joins the Leas footpath on its way to the bandstand. Hundreds of spectacular costumes have been made for the parade by schools and community groups with help from Strange Cargo’s carnival artist team. The carnival includes drumming bands from across the UK, so come along and enjoy the best day out for all the family… and its all free! Bring a picnic and stay to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with a music programme from 3.30pm provided by The Chambers, featuring Ivans Allstars.
Thanks to funders Folkestone and Hythe District Council, Kent County Council, Folkestone Town Council, Channel Rotary, Frank Brake Foundation, Kent Community Foundation, Creative Folkestone, Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, Arts Council England and The Chambers.
Genesis Kickstart Fund award
Strange Cargo is excited to announce that we have been selected for the Genesis Kickstart Fund award. The award will support our ongoing program The Resident Platform, enabling artists to be in residence at Strange Cargo to learn about participatory fine art practice. The residency involves an exhibition and working alongside the local community to produce two new bronze sculptures that will be permanently sited at Folkestone West Train station. Strange Cargo would like to say a massive thank you to The Genesis Foundation for selecting us for the Genesis Kickstart Fund and to Rebecca Salter PRA for nominating us for the award. Without this support we wouldn’t be able to share our knowledge, commission & train new artists in participatory practice, and make outstanding culture happen within the Cheriton community..
Gravesend Lights
After being postponed from last January due to Covid, Strange Cargo is delighted to be delivering a new light festival event for Gravesend. On 29th and 30th January 2022 between 5pm and 8pm, this outdoor event brings together artists Ross Ashton and Karen Monid, Richie Moment, Greg Stobbs, Fabric Lenny and others, who will be displaying a series of fabulous artworks to illuminate the Heritage Quarter and enchant visitors.
The commission by Gravesend Borough Council is Strange Cargo’s first light event in the town and in addition to the commissioned installations, artists in our team Sam Giles, Zo Defferary and Hannah Rushforth will be creating large scale lantern sculptures, on this occasion inspired by the Edward Lear poem The Owl and the Pussycat to demonstrate lantern making techniques to Gravesend artists. Lear had close links to the town and his pea green boat was the inspiration for the towns crest.
Do you live or work in Cheriton?…
…or have a connection to the town? Strange Cargo together with sculptor Andrew Baldwin are running a series of FREE workshops at our gallery to create the first of 12 community bronze sculptures to be sited on the little ledges at Folkestone West Station. You will be making a small wax model at the workshop. Places are limited.
Workshop dates are:
•6-8pm Thursday 11th Nov. Fully Booked
•11am-1pm Saturday 13th Nov Fully Booked
•1-3pm Wednesday 17th Nov
No previous experience necessary. For more info or to book a place please DM us or email info@strangecargo.org.uk The Resident Platform is a series of artist residencies at Strange Cargo in Cheriton. Our first resident artist is Charley Vines and her exhibition Folly in Plum can be seen during the workshop. Thanks to Arts Council, Folkestone & Hythe DC, Folkestone Town Council, Southeastern Trains, Kent County Council.
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Folly in Plum
Folly in Plum is the first in the series of The Resident Platform artist residencies at Strange Cargo that will develop an unusual approach to making public art, through actively pairing a resident artist with people from the local community.
Artist Charley Vines is the first artist at Strange Cargo in Cheriton. Working across painting, sculpture and installation, Charley obtained her BA HONS at UCA in 2012 and PGD at The Royal Academy Schools in 2019. Recent exhibitions include Sub Rosa at Lungley Gallery, London and Gargle at Bow Arts, London. Folly in Plum will be open to the public from 16th Oct until 28th Nov 2021. Based in Kent. www.charleyvines.co.uk
In Darkness Let Me Dwell
Tickets are now available for a performance at 8pm on Saturday 25th September at Strange Cargo by the Benyounes Quartet. This is the second evening of artists’ responses- in the form of videos, installations and performance art- to John Woolrich’s music, exploring darkness and light, farewells, memory, shadows and disappearance.
The artists are Chelsey Browne, Gayle Chong Kwan, the Brothers Quay, Terry Smith, Mick Williamson and Richard Wilson.
The event is directed by Tim Hopkins. Tickets below or £10 on the door.
Westenhanger Big Open Day -Telling the Otterpool Tale
We had our big open day at Westenhanger Castle! Hundreds of people turned up for or free workshops and treasure hunt in the castle grounds.
Strange Cargo is delighted to have been commissioned by the Otterpool Park team to explore the heritage of Otterpool Park, which is a proposed Garden Town located in the Kent countryside, close to Folkestone. The project seeks to create a vibrant new community for current and future generations, inspired by the natural landscape, character and heritage of the site.
CHARIVARI DAY 2021 - PICNIC ON THE LEAS
Strange Cargo is delighted to invite you to bring your egg sandwiches and ginger beer and join us for a fab afternoon of music to celebrate our 25th Charivari Day at the Bandstand. Covid restrictions mean there is no carnival parade this summer, but that won’t stop us all having loads of fun and there will be free craft activities on offer too!
The Romney Marsh Guidebook - we need you!
We are just starting to research the Romney Marsh version of the Everywhere Means Something to Somewhere guidebook. We would love you to get in touch with your stories about locations on the Marsh. It can be about any place, and have any theme, just so long as it’s something that fascinates you. We’re looking for the type of place that you would point out to a friend if you were passing by.
Please visit our guidebook page for more details about how to contact us.
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Having Fun with Art - Strange Cargo & Age UK
Are you over 55? We have been invited by Age UK to create Having Fun with Art and are very excited to be at their Cheriton HQ to deliver a series of eight creative workshops starting Tuesday 3rd August. Don't be put off if you are a total beginner - we've made it so that everyone can take part. Please come and join us, it will be lots of fun.
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Telling the Otterpool Tale 2021
Workshops coming to Westenhanger Castle this half term!
Strange Cargo is delighted to have been commissioned by the Otterpool Park team to explore the heritage of Otterpool Park, which is a proposed Garden Town located in the Kent countryside, close to Folkestone. The project seeks to create a vibrant new community for current and future generations, inspired by the natural landscape, character and heritage of the site.
On Tuesday 1st and Thursday 3rd June between 11am and 3pm, Strange Cargo will be running a series of free family-friendly workshops at Westenhanger Castle, as part of our community outreach project to encourage learning about the history and heritage of the Otterpool Park site.
The free events, called Telling the Otterpool Tale, will be open to people of all ages and will provide an opportunity for families to be able to find out more about the long history of the Otterpool Park area. You will be able to enjoy hands on crafts to make and take home, such as a winner’s rosette, a decorative medal and a Tudor headdress, and the whole family can join in to imagine themselves as a jockey, station porter, Fair Rosamund or a Roman soldier at our heritage selfie wall.
All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Covid safety: Please be patient, as only limited numbers will be allowed into the workshop area at any one time. Please bring a picnic and enjoy the castle grounds while you wait to join the workshop.
