Passing on skills and sharing knowledge at Marine Studios
See what's coming up in April from Marine Studios and the Writers' Room
We've always been a place that nurtures people and supports new projects, so we love it when people fly our nest. But it does mean we have a desk available right now! Just five minutes from Margate Station, on the edge of the Old Town, with views over Main Sands. We're an interesting group at Marine Studios – designers, architects, community activists, writers, musicians, poets, and more. As a studio, we have an interest in climate justice, and the impact of the creative industries locally. We run a public programme, with events for writers and our regular First Friday. We have a permanent desk space available at the moment (£100/month - easy in/easy out terms), as well as hot-desking and meeting rooms for hire. If you want more info get in touch at info@marinestudios.co.uk.
First Friday: Go!
Join us at Marine Studios on Friday 4th April for First Friday as we roll the dice and say Go! – with an evening of unusual card games, one-off board games, and things to play without any rules. We believe that play is an essential way of exploring the world and its alternatives, and that coming together around a set of rules (and agreeing to change them when needed!) helps us find what we have in common.
We have a huge collection of games in our library, and we’ll be trying out a prototype of Dreamland, based on Rosa Rankin Gee’s book of the same name, but you’re also welcome to bring your own games to share. We’re taking inspiration from Merry Prankster Stewart Brand and the New Games Foundation, the Dada artists, Stonemaier Games, and Brian Eno. Join us!
First Fridays (est. 2009) are fun, playful, and involve hands-on activities to explore an idea. This event is FREE and no tickets is required – just show up on the night.
Accessibility: find out about this event and space by reading our access statement.
A creative placement with Don’t Miss Margate
Creative Catalyst Thanet is run in partnership with Co-relate in Margate and Eli Seath in Ramsgate and has so far worked with more than 20 young people. Four young people have done paid placements with creative organisations in Margate and 16 are taking part in shorter unpaid placements with creative organisations across Thanet.
Sophie is on a paid 10-week placement with Georgina at Don't Miss Margate, working part-time out of the Marine Studios Writers’ Room.
Georgina says: “Thanks to Creative Catalyst I've got a much needed second pair of hands to help me increase the content and events we can cover at Don't Miss Margate, especially for our online guide to Margate. Sophie has been helping me write and upload features like our new Best Bars With A Sea View, which means I can spend more time developing the business and helping events get promoted. It's also great to be able to pass on skills I've spent 20 years learning!”
Sophie says: “I have really been enjoying my time working at Don’t Miss Margate. It has expanded my local knowledge as I get to write about places and events that I didn’t know about beforehand and then I get to spread the word to other people as well. I’ve also learnt how to edit and add things to the website and I love being able to include my own photos in them as I find lots of pleasure in photography.”
Details of the programme are on the Co-relate website.
‘cene Magazine at Marine Studios
Brighter Days Markets CIC has been using the big meeting room at Marine Studios for a series of sessions aimed at makers, artisans, craftspeople and artists. The session on 12 March, Pressing Matters, was with Joe Bill, Editorial Director of 'cene magazine.
All sessions across the programme have been informative and practical – ideal for creative minds and Joe gave a great presentation about his journey into journalism, setting up 'cene, and winning awards (including collecting them incognito in balaclavas). He followed up with time to review writing by the participants, making helpful and brilliant suggestions to their press release text.
Brighter Days are looking for funding to continue this popular pilot, funded by Thanet District Council, as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Social Enterprise Kent and Don't Miss Margate's Community Solidarity Fund. Find out more about Brighter Days by visiting their website.
Leave us a Google review!
Are you a Marine Studios deskholder, or have you held a meeting at Marine Studios, attended an event or hired a desk for the day? We would love it if you would review us on Google! We care about your opinion, and the more reviews we get, the more visibility we get as a local business. Please leave us a Google review.
(And if you haven’t booked a desk or meeting room yet, but would like to, you can reserve a space using our online booking system.)
Any questions? Get in touch at info@marinestudios.co.uk
Writing opportunities
An introduction to book publishing
If you are undecided whether a career in publishing could be for you, here’s a four-day ‘Introduction to book publishing’ course that usually costs about £300, but is being offered for free through bursaries to those from a variety of marginalised groups. Find out more and apply.
Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award
This one is for unpublished writers. £10,000 will be presented to a first-time writer whose submission demonstrates outstanding literary talent and who needs financial support to complete their work. The two runners-up will each receive £1,000. For details and to submit your work see Deborah Rogers Foundation.
Harper-Wood Creative Writing and Travel Award
This one’s for graduates (of any university). St John’s College, Cambridge is offering poets and authors at the start of their careers the chance to spend a paid year overseas. Closes 23rd April. Find out more and apply.
What’s on?
For details of all the monthly Marine Studios Writers’ Room groups (Margate Fiction Writers; Margate Stanza; Writer’s Block; Where to Start Writing…) please see the events page on the Marine Studios website.
Accessibility: for all events and meetings at Marine Studios, read our access statement.
First Friday: Go!
Friday 4th April, 6–9pm / Marine Studios
Join us at Marine Studios on Friday 4th April for First Friday as we roll the dice and say Go!
Free to attend
Brighter Days Markets
12th & 13th April / Turner Contemporary
Find hand made, local and amazing quality and design at Brighter Days Markets – each maker and artisan is a small and local business (currently all East Kent based). Follow them on Instagram @brighterdaysmarkets.
Free to attend