2024 round-up of ALL THE GOOD THINGS
This year has been pretty damn special for Marine Studios and our Writers' Room... read on to find out why
10 Good Things from 2024
1. Marine Studios became artist-led
Marine Studios was originally created in 2009 by exhibition design studio HKD, and in 2024, HKD handed over the reigns to a partnership formed by Co-relate, Kent Poetry CIC, Dan Thompson Studio and Anthony Rendall-Davis.
2. Our community grew
Marine Studios exists to support Margate’s creative community with affordable desk spaces, writers’ resources, workshops, events and more. We now have 25 permanent members and hundreds more people have visited this year.
(We also now have 250 subscribers to this newsletter, which is beyond brilliant!)
3. We hired a studio assistant (and a marketing co-ordinator)
The studio was able to hire an assistant (and the wonderful Jenny who heads up social media) to deal with emails, bookings, events and the day-to-day running of the workspace because of Arts Council England funding.
3. The Writers' Room went from strength-to-strength
This year we have seen our writers’ room become a bubbling, vibrant community where people are striking creative sparks off each other. We’ve been able to subsidise low-income writers who may not otherwise be able to access a regular workspace; the Writers’ Room also offers a poetry library, and regular development and support programming, including prose and poetry critique groups.
Connor at Kent Poetry CIC works from the Writers’ Room and has hosted some superb events out in the world this year, too. Both Poeticon – the biggest literary convention in the South-East – and the Kent Poetry Championship Slam were born at Marine Studios (and will be back in 2025!).
4. First Friday bounced back after Covid
First Friday was relaunched at the end of 2023 and this year has seen a full programme of events, with makers, artists and writers from across the country invited to Thanet to take part (Travis Elborough, Bernadette Russell, Michi Masumi, Simon Sheridan, Bindfulness and Elte Rauch, to mention a few). We’ve also featured loads of local talent (like Nick Morley, Jenny Duff, Violet Malice, Conker and the Zoe Murphy Quilting Group).
This year First Friday also won funding to go Margate-wide (and beyond), a brilliant project spear-headed by Dan Thompson Studio.
5. We reduced our environmental impact and launched a Green Guide
We’ve done a lot this year to be greener: moved to a 100% green energy supplier; replaced flushes on toilets to reduce water consumption; organised a recycling contractor; replaced cleaning products with eco-friendly alternatives; and bought second-hand. Jess also kick-started a collaboration with creative spaces and studios in Margate that are taking steps to improve their environmental impact (or are interested in doing so). She is bringing together this collective knowledge to produce a Green Guide to help studios better share resources and good practice.
Oh and Plastic Free Thanet who are based at the studio launched the reusable Margate Cup!
6. We were awarded CIC status
Regular readers of this newsletter will know that we are now a Community Interest Company (CIC). We trade with a social purpose for the benefit of our community.
7 Another successful Bookie collaboration
2024 saw the 10th Margate Bookie! We enjoy a close relationship with Bookie – their staff work from our Writers’ Room and the Write-Up Weekend was held here (and will be again in 2025!)
8. An incubator for social enterprise Undertow
Working from our Writers’ Room, Dr Kat Lewis founded social enterprise Undertow, offering creative writing sessions to support mental health wellbeing and recovery to local groups in Margate and beyond. Undertow hosted 35 asylum seekers the studio and a collaborative poem was created as part of a project called Statement of Asylum. The group worked collectively to craft a message that was projected onto the Turner Contemporary.
9. Art for Anyone
Art For Anyone, the free access workbook produced by Marine Studios in 2023, has continued to attract attention this year. It's a practical guide to including access in the development of arts and community projects, and it's been used by projects across England to help shape their work.
10. A packed roster of events for artists and writers
You’re probably reading this because you’ve been to one of our events. This year there has been SO MANY (and many of them brand-new). We couldn’t do it without the people who give their time (Emily, Gavin, Rosie. George, Dan, Coonor, Jess, Ed – we love you).
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and Happy New Year to everyone who has been part of our story in 2024. We look forward to welcoming you in 2025!