Events

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First Friday

Join Marine Studios and Margate in celebrating the events taking place on the First Friday of every month…

ON THE SAME PAGE : First Friday 4 OCTOBER 2024

Join us at The Margate School & Dreamland for October’s First Friday, hosted in partnership with Margate Bookie

At The Margate School
31-33 High Street, Margate CT9 1DX
Bookbinding Workshop – Back by popular demand: learn the basics of book binding with Bindfulness: 2.00-3.30pm
This event is bookable HERE – all tickets are £25

Bee’s Bookshare – A special edition – bring a book to share with fellow book lovers: 4.00-6.00pm
This event is bookable HERE – all tickets are FREE

These events take place on the ground floor at The Margate School, which is wheelchair accessible

Later, at Dreamland
49-51 Marine Terrace, Margate CT9 1XJ
Kent Poetry Championship Slam! 11 poets compete for the prize while audience members get to judge.
Headliner: Raymond Antrobus. Doors from 6.30pm.
This event is bookable HERE – all tickets are £5

Dreamland Accessibility Policy can be found HERE

Supported by Arts Council England (ACE). BYO curiosity.

The Writers’ Room Events

Sign up to our newsletter for monthly event listings from The Writers’ Room and beyond!

First Friday (first Friday of the month)

Check out the poster at the top of this page for details on our next First Friday event!

Writer’s Block (usually second & fourth Friday of the month)

Friday 11th October / Friday 25th October, 9.30am-12.30pm / Marine Studios

Join us at Marine Studios for another 3-hour writing sprint with sea views! Give those projects, poems and plays the time they deserve, with a focused 3 hours of peace with like-minded writers.

DM @writersblockmargate to book your space.

Margate Fiction Writers (third Monday of the month)

Monday 21st October 6.30-8.30pm / Marine Studios

Join us for a friendly and supportive prose fiction session on the Third Monday of every month at Marine Studios. Share your work, offer (and receive) constructive criticism and support fellow local scribes. Bring along 500–700 words that you’re happy to read aloud.

RSVP or questions @marinestudios_margate / email us

Margate Stanza Poetry Group (third Tuesday or Wednesday of the month)

Tuesday 15th October 6.30-8.30pm / Marine Studios

A friendly poetry critique group where you’re encouraged to bring and read a poem you’re working on and receive feedback from the group – giving and receiving constructive critique is a powerful way to improve your writing so please bring along drafts or poems with problems you want solved.

RSVP or questions @marinestudios_margate / email us

Where To Start Writing (first or second Sunday of the month)

Sundays 3pm for 3.30-5.30pm, 9th June, 7th July, 8th September, 13th October / Marine Studios

A brand new writers group hosted by Rosie Johnston (www.rosiejohnstonwrites.com) for new writers and writers who want to get back into a regular practice. The group is very light touch – no one reads aloud unless they are absolutely sure they want to – think of it less as a critique group and more of an encouragement workshop.

Margate Bookie

The friendly lit-fest by the sea returns to Margate for 9 days from Saturday 28th September to Sunday 6th October with talks, poetry, book launches, children’s events, walks and workshops.

The brilliant Margate Bookie literary festival has grown up right here at Marine Studios, the year-round home to team Bookie. Marine Studios is proud to be a CIC (Community Interest Company) committed to developing projects which extend cultural participation in Margate… and Bookie is back for its tenth glorious year!

Find out more and book your tickets margatebookie.com

First Friday (first Friday of the month)

AI: Friday 1st November 6.00-9.00pm 

This event is FREE. BYO refreshments and curiosity.
Accessibility: find out about this event and space in our access statement.
And, as always, a welcoming, engaging and encouraging atmosphere.

Past events

EMPIRE : First Friday 6 SEPTEMBER 2024

Curated and hosted by Kent-based Phoetrystra (Photo Poet) Michi Masumi.

The evening will be an exploration into how art and poetry capture and critique the British Empire’s influence and legacy. During the evening Michi will read poetry showcasing diverse voices and experiences; present an overview of the British Empire and its global impact, its rise and fall and its lingering effects in contemporary times; and host an open-floor Q&A.

There will also be art and books on Empire to explore at your own pace, and a signal flags exhibition by resident studio-holder Dan Thompson – the flags were originally commissioned by Estuary Festival and flown at Tilbury, to mark the spot the SS Empire Windrush docked.

This event is FREE. BYO refreshments and curiosity.
Accessibility: find out about this event and space in our access statement.
And, as always, a welcoming, engaging and encouraging atmosphere.

PRIDE: First Friday 2 AUGUST 2024

This month we’ll be taking inspiration from Rosa Rankin-Gee’s book Dreamland, by exploring local sites, the impact of climate change and LGBTQIA+ love stories.

We will explore Margate’s most iconic locations through an exhibition of artworks by local artists, including Charlie Evaristo Boyce. Dan Thompson will be showing Arlington House artifacts, including some key pieces from the original building. Plus enjoy an exclusive Dreamland mini-zine and interview with Rosa Rankin-Gee.

Explore our rising sea levels map to find out how Margate and its beloved beaches fair in the climate crisis, and join us in making a climate pledge with takethejump.org.

BOOKS: First Friday 5 JULY 2024

Join Hope Fitzgerald from Bindfulness Handmade Books in Faversham, as she shares a variety of simple handbound structures and a taster of bookbinding techniques.  Find out about paper grain and learn a simple sewing technique to create useful and beautiful books using basic tools and materials.

Try your hand at making origami bookmarks in a workshop with Anthony Rendall-Davis; explore book ephemera with Dan Thompson; and browse the Marine Studios library and the Writers’ Room Poetry library.

CRAFT: First Friday 7 JUNE 2024

Did you know there is a UK red list of endangered crafts? We are delving into heritage crafts with English Folk artist, Celtic shaman, and magic practitioner Conker (@conker.art) holding a “make your own corn dolly” drop-in workshop; Jenny Duff sharing the art of Hapa Zome (printing from plants and flowers); and the Zoe Murphy Quilting Group demonstrating quilting techniques.

We will also spotlight and celebrate some of the talented studio and desk holders here at Marine Studios – inspired by his late grandmother, Ed Garvey-Long will be bringing his hand stitched quilts; Ellie Dangerfield brings nature shrines celebrating local ecology, land connection and natural material culture to the evening; plus designer and maker, Jenny Duff, will be exhibiting her new bold and beautiful place mats and coasters, made in collaboration with Rebecca Strickson.

HOPE: First Friday 3 MAY 2024

In troubled times it’s hard to have hope for the future, so this month we celebrate everything hopeful, and the extraordinary ways people are paving the way for a brighter future.

Theatre maker and storyteller Bernadette Russell, will be sharing inspiring stories throughout the evening. Bed in for some soul nourishment with hope inspiring quotes, with resident librarians Dan Thompson and Connor Sansby, in our hope inspired reading room.

We are also joined by some very exciting local innovators and designers. Join Dan Thompson will be making a giant ‘Mappa Mundi’-style map of hope, which visitors will be able to contribute to.

WATER: First Friday 5 APRIL 2024

Ahead of Earth Day 2024, we are diving in to the theme of Water for our next installment of First Friday. Water means something to everyone, whether it’s the sea, rivers, rain or the water that comes out of your tap. Anyone curious about our connections with water is invited to Margate’s Marine Studios on 5 April 2024 to explore water through art, science and play.

Featuring interactive activities, exhibits and performances from coastal drag icon Shelly Grotto, Poets for the Planet, Mergate Mermaid Parade and Dan Thompson Studios.

pink Censored! poster with nude covered by redacted text.

CENSORED: First Friday 1 MARCH 2024

We have a very special double edition of First Friday on the theme: CENSORED! As well as the (now sold out) special screening of Respectable – The Mary Millington Story at The Margate School, at Marine Studios (5.30–10pm) you can explore the world of censorship, banned books and moral panics, with a Banned Books Reading Room hosted by Connor Sansby and a 9pm adult-only performance by poet Violet Malice (think Anglo Saxon four-letter words mixed roughly with enormous plosives).

CENSORED: First Friday 1 MARCH 2024

Join us for a First Friday screening of Respectable: The Mary Millington Story, plus a Q&A with writer, broadcaster and filmmaker Simon Sheridan. The documentary explores the extraordinary life of Mary Millington, Britain’s only genuine sex superstar. This is a free, Arts Council England (ACE) funded event from the Marine Studios Writers’ Room, hosted at The Margate School.

PRINT IS DEAD: First Friday 2 FEB 2024

Join Marine Studios and friends for a night of print and publishing themed activities exploring the theme: Print is Dead. Listen to Elte Rauch from New Menard Press speaking about her journey running an independent cross-channel publishing press.

Nick Morley, aka Linocut Boy, will showcase his linocut prints and woodblock printing demonstration. Contribute to a book sculpture that artist Willow Winston will be creating. Dan Thompson will be opening his studio for a printmaking and 3D printing demo.

JOURNEYS: First Friday 1 Dec 2023

Join us to launch the Marine Studios Writers’ Room in our December First Friday on the theme of Journeys.

Hear acclaimed author Travis Elborough discuss his latest work ‘The Writer’s Journey’, following the travels that influenced some of world’s most famous writers. Experience Three Tenses in One from Dan Thompson Studio, reimagine Thanet’s streetscapes with Transit Collective, and get creative with D&D map making and Peter Gander’s map drawing. Plus there’s a Margate Bookshop pop-up to get your Christmas gifts.

ROBOTS: First Friday

3 Nov 2023

Marine Studios is relaunching First Fridays with the incredible Robert Poulter’s New Model Theatre and robot-related activities.

R.U.R. – Robert’s Unruly Robots is a paper theatre show inspired by Karel Čapek’s 1920 play, R.U.R, where the word ‘robot’ originated. Read more in the Isle of Thanet news.