What We Do
The Creative Foundation oversees the purchase, refurbishment and management of property in the Creative Quarter. When the Foundation began its work, many of the buildings in the area were in a very poor state, having been unused and left in disrepair for years. The Creative Foundation has breathed new life into these often previously uninhabitable buildings by undertaking intensive work to renovate or reconstruct them, so that they can be occupied by the creative businesses and residents that have become part of the Creative Quarter.
Co-ordination
One of our key roles is to co-ordinate different elements that make up Folkestone’s regeneration. Our team runs the Folkestone Triennial, the Folkestone Book Festival and Quarterhouse Performing Arts and Business Centre. We work closely with regional agencies, local authorities, higher education institutions and public/private partnership bodies. Through this collaboration we can also provide business advice and support to our community of creative tenants. Education is also a critical part of what we do: we have been instrumental in bringing University Centre Folkestone and the Folkestone Adult Education Centre at The Cube to the town.
Promotion
The Creative Foundation aims to make Folkestone a more attractive place to live, work and visit. By developing new attractions and publicising events, we hope that the project can serve as a case study in regeneration and how to build a successful creative community. Attracting more visitors to the town will help provide new audiences so that the resident creative community can flourish and be sustained.
Funding
The Creative Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable trust, limited by guarantee. Most of our work is funded by income from the properties we let to our creative tenants, which means that the charity is less dependent than most arts organisations on grants from public agencies. Nevertheless we are also grateful to receive grant support for some of our work from statutory and voluntary agencies, and some commercial organisations. In particular we would like to acknowledge:
| The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust |  |
| Arts Council England |  |
| HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) |  |
| Kent County Council |  |
| SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) |  |
| Shepway District Council |  |