Art at the Centre

Art at the Centre is a pioneering scheme funded by Arts Council South East and South East Development Agency. This project is based in Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey, which is part of the Thames Gateway Regeneration.

Art at the Centre Queenborough & Rushenden currently facilitates community engagement with the regeneration process through events, exhibitions, competitions and workshops. A priority for Art at the Centre is to continue to stimulate involvement and engagement of the local communities in regeneration, to influence the design of the public realm, and ultimately to develop an exemplary model of how art can become an integral part of the regeneration process.

The project aims to establish a reputation for quality art (both public art and arts activities) and to support local artists’ initiatives to facilitate their collective presence as a creative industry, with a view to retaining the creative practitioners who ‘migrate’ to the capital, and thus to develop the growing creative community in Swale.

Art at the Centre is currently preparing for the next two years of projects 2008-2010, where ambitious changes are being planned (including a proposal for a mobile space gallery). For more information see  the Future Strategy (which is currently being  updated). To view past project click here, this includes, public artworks, festivals, workshops and study trips. The programme of exhibitions is listed on the Castle Gallery page, which also houses a list of previous shows.

What is Art at the Centre?

Art at the Centre is the umbrella title for Arts Council England, South East regeneration projects, happening in Swale, Maidstone and Isle of Wight.

Art at the Centre supports local authorities in the south east with ambitious plans for urban renewal. 
Art at the Centre's core belief is that sustainable regeneration is built on more than bricks and mortar: when artists are able to contribute from the outset to the regeneration process, the resulting master-planning and community involvement leads to real innovation with lasting outcomes.

"Queenborough and Rushenden are rapidly changing. In ten years, the landscape will look completely different, new people will move in and new jobs be created. Our challenge is to stay focused on the fact that this is a tight knit community, with its own problems, fears and dreams. One objective was to create a ‘sense of place’, but it is clear that a strong sense of place already exists. Imposing an identity on people would be false. The artists that I work with are sensitive to these issues, and will reflect people’s voices in their work.

Our ambitions are high. Officials and locals do not view art as a priority, pointing to fundamental needs such as raising education standards.  But this project is not an “add on’. Art at the Centre plays a vital role in communicating the views of the people, putting life back into a process full of bureaucracy, and making art that sets a competitive standard within the art world itself."

Nicole Mollett

The mission of Art at the Centre Swale

1. To recognise the existing qualities and identity of the area:
To document this before the development begins.
This could be achieved through a programme of residencies or workshops with artists.
It should help the community articulate a sense of pride, drawing upon the earlier
prosperity and significance of Queenborough and Rushenden
 

2. To establish a venue for such events (temporary or permanent)
which could act as a facility for the arts - or a
research centre.
 

3. To increase the number of people involved in arts activities

(perhaps users of the new facility / research centre)
 

4. To influence the quality of urban and housing design:
to focus on the built environment of Queenborough and Rushenden;
to find out what’s already there; to input into the new build, and perhaps look
at successful developments elsewhere; and to become involved in the redevelopment of
existing sites, for example, the Old School.
 

5. To engage the community within the development process:
with a focus on youth and, in particular, to articulate to the existing community the
opportunities of the new development by linking with the Community Development
Officer, which could focus on social / cultural / economic / education and skills opportunities.
 

6. To tell a ‘good news’ story about Queenborough and Rushenden

Which will impact upon civic pride and generate a positive civic image.

Evaluation

Final evaluation of Art at the Centre Phase I (6) confirmed the positive impact of the scheme, including its role in facilitating change and attracting additional funding from across local authority departments.

Evaluation of Phase II will go further, gathering qualitative as well as quantitative evidence, and injecting creativity into the evaluation process itself. This approach is being developed in collaboration with the General Public Agency who will be tracking the progress of all three Art at the Centre projects through to 2008.

This will involve artists in helping to capture some of the ‘essence’of the project; it will involve communities in the identification of key themes; it will develop tools to enable a deeper understanding of those themes; and it will provide mechanisms to share learning outcomes from the start.

Case Studies

A key challenge for Art at the Centre, and a common theme for all its project partners, is the need to create a sense of unity and identity within areas undergoing rapid change. We believe that this unity should be evident not only in the physical environment but also on a social level within communities.

We will be following the experiences of a number of people touched by Art at the Centre Phase II as part of an innovative evaluation process led by the General Public Agency. This will provide robust evidence of the real impact of placing art at the heart of regeneration activities across the south east.

The Glossary

Coming soon…clear explanations of key terms and concepts identified through Art at the Centre and illustrated through reference to case studies. A useful aid for all those involved in regeneration projects or wishing to share the lessons emerging from projects such as this.