We all went down to Margate... to invest in regeneration
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Margate has long-standing creative links, from JMW Turner,
who dubbed the skies above Thanet 'the loveliest in all Europe' to
the more modern Tracey Emin.
The town is set to benefit from a multi-million pound
regeneration programme, which includes plans for the world's first
heritage amusement park and the construction of the Turner
Contemporary Gallery. Home to a growing community of artists,
Margate is continuing to attract interest from the creative
sector.
One company drawn to Margate is HKD, which specialises in
design for museums, exhibitions and exhibits, and moved from North
London to a Grade II listed former casino building in the town. The
project was supported by a grant from the Government's Meanwhile
Fund to help with the refurbishment of the premises, and the
company relocated with the assistance of investment promotion
agency Locate in Kent, Margate Renewal Partnership and Thanet
District Council.
Kate Kneale, from HKD, said: "A belief in cultural
heritage and community engagement has always been core to our
business, but we simply hadn't got the budget or commercial space
to realise this vision in London. Moving to Margate will enable us
to share skills and work more with the community.
"This is something I believe the creative sector needs to
commit more time to - it's the way forward - and we think it makes
us leaders in our field. We now have a large property with a
studio, gallery for artists-in-residence and a meeting room we
intend to hire out."
HKD's recent work includes an exhibition on the life of
T.S. Eliot in the Folio Gallery at the British Library, Portraits
from Vilna - an international travelling exhibition about the
Holocaust in Lithuania, a new gallery on the Science of Fire at the
Singapore Science Centre and ongoing refurbishment at the Museum of
Tolerance in Los Angeles.
Paul Wookey, chief executive of Locate in Kent, said:
"Along with several other Kent seaside locations, Margate is slowly
but surely developing its offer for creative companies. Firms like
HKD are able to benefit from the town's creative networks and
support, alongside more practical benefits like cost-effective
property and the vastly improved access to London via
Southeastern's high- speed rail services."
Derek Harding, from Thanet District Council, commented:
"The project has brought a key empty building back into use, new
jobs and an enterprising company to the town. This was only made
possible through the collaboration between a number of agencies and
the owners of the building."
Kate added: "The regeneration framework drawn up by
Margate Renewal Partnership complements our company philosophy -
there's no way we've retired to the seaside, we're expanding and
exploring new opportunities - just like Margate."
For more information visit www.hkd.uk.com
Tuesday, February 23 2010
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