The Chairman of The Creative Foundation is Roger De Haan, former chairman of Folkestone’s largest private sector employer, Saga, and a lifelong resident of the town. In 1997 he became chairman of the Metropole Arts Centre Trust, which had been established in the 1960s under the patronage of Lord Clark, but which was then facing closure. Roger appointed a new board of trustees, establishing a team that would revitalise the ‘Metropole Galleries’. They attracted the help of influential local figures and developed a vision for Folkestone which goes further than many previous models of arts-led regeneration in placing the arts at the heart of the process.
Some 200,000 square feet of property is under the control of the Creative Foundation, spread across more than 80 individual buildings. Many of these have been fully refurbished and over 200 creative individuals have been attracted to the area. The Foundation’s projects have led so far to the creation of just under 300 jobs.
2008 saw the inaugural Folkestone Triennial, a hugely ambitious exhibition of art in public spaces, bringing the work of major international artists such as Tracey Emin and Mark Wallinger to the town. Embodying the artistic spirit and drive of the Creative Foundation’s vision, the Triennial has become embedded into Folkestone’s wider cultural life and is now a major event, not just in the local area but as a fixture in the international arts calendar. The second Triennial takes place in summer 2011. For further information please visit folkestonetriennial.org.uk
Please click on the thumbnails to the right to see images of some of our renovated properties before and after refurbishment.
