Updated Friday 9th October 2020

NEWS (see also our Facebook Page) + look inside Creek Creative: take the VIRTUAL TOUR

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS ARE RESTARTING

Watch this space (or Facebook Page) for more updates of new and/or previously regular classes restarting after lockdown…

ONLINE GALLERY: Creek Poster Retrospective (Left) + Previous Exhibition #QuickTour Feature (Right)

LEFT: ‘Creek Creative Archive Retrospective’ is a poster / graphic snapshot of 11 Years at No.1 Abbey Street (1st July 2009 – 30th June 2020), which includes past Exhibitions, Craft Fairs, Events, Presentations, Workshops & Courses, Promotion & Signage (click in corner for ‘Full Screen’ & ‘Esc’ to return). This archive video is also available on YouTube or as 8x posts of multiple photos on Instagram.

RIGHT: “Grey is not a Dirty Word” #SoloShow of Paintings & Drawings by Hilary Ellis (Tue 22nd Sep to Sun 4th Oct, Upper Gallery) requiring very close inspection…. “The nature of these discreet yet insistent marks, scratches and stitches appear as an overwhelming desire, signifying the chaos cloaked beneath every search for order.” – for more details see Hilary Ellis’ website or find her on Instagram @drawntothread #GreyIsNotADirtyWord

LIFE AFTER CLOSURE (SATURDAY 21ST MARCH – TUESDAY 4TH AUGUST) – SUPPORT DONATIONS STILL NEEDED

Above: Photos of the new re-opening set up (04/08/20) + Below: Photos of current Front Yard set up with Marquee (29/09/20).

Please consider donating to help our not-for-profit facility survive the Covid-19 downturn using the QR Code or PayPal Button below.

Thankfully we received some vital financial support on 24th April, via Swale Borough Council, to help sustain our NFP Arts Facility for a few months, but we still face very challenging times ahead and need your support more than ever. Any donations will be gratefully received and will help us cover the anticipated huge shortfall in income from severely reduced footfall and sales for the remainder of 2020 and into 2021.

LOWER GALLERY

Next Exhibition will be ‘Mental Health in Pictures’ from Dorota Chioma (Tuesday 27th october to Sunday 8th November). As a result of adaptations to the pandemic the Lower Gallery will be even more of a multi-use space hosting all manner of courses and workshops intermingled with the scheduled presentations and exhibitions.

Wheelchair users please note that we do have #WheelchairAccess on both levels, but for the Lower Gallery access is from the back (on Belvedere Road): Cafe or Shop staff will need to be alerted (via the main Abbey Street entrance) to go down and open the double Fire Doors for the rear ramp, then guide people through the corridor.

PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID-19) / Re-Opening / Track & Trace UPDATE

Our exhibitions and other activities resumed from Tuesday 4th August, along with re-opening the Gallery Kitchen Cafe, Artisan Shop, and some workshops/classes. Maintaining social distancing with enhanced hygiene measures will minimise the risks, and entry numbers will be limited for some time to come. For everyone’s safety we need cooperation on site, within the building artist/residents are advised to not bring more than one person to their studio/workshop at any time, keep at least 1m apart, wash hands / use sanitisers frequently, and stay alert. After the 4th August the limit on students attending courses & workshops will be four until further notice.

BOOKING INFORMATION

Most of our scheduled exhibitions (past, present & future) can be found in our online calendar. If you booked an exhibition or short course / day workshop before lockdown, please email info@creek-creative.org to enquire about changes, or contact the tutor directly (via phone or email) to check if they are offering online alternatives, or are re-scheduling on site socially distanced classes planned to start later in the year.

AWARDS

Creek Creative were #KentCreativeAwards finalists in ‘Cultural Venue’ + ‘Arts Organisation’ categories in 2017, and in November 2018 Lorraine and her Gallery Kitchen Cafe team earned a Gold Award for the second year running at the Freefrom Eating Out Awards 2018 in the ‘Cafés & Teashops’ category (see also FreeFrom Eating Out Awards 2017). Prior to that our GKC was shortlisted again for ‘Customer Service of the Year’ in 2017, having been a top three Finalist in both ‘Cafe of the Year’ and ‘Customer Service of the Year’ categories at the ‘Kent Life and Kent on Sunday Food & Drink Awards 2016‘. Back in 2015 our Gallery Kitchen Cafe had received a ‘Kent Life and Kent on Sunday Food & Drink Awards 2015‘ Highly Commended for ‘Cafe of the Year’ .

FEEDBACK

If you have enjoyed visiting us recently please help us by completing our ONLINE SURVEY kindly designed for us by Georgie Anderson. This feedback guides future management decisions and may be a crucial factor in obtaining significant funding for us to help improve the facilities here at Creek.

Can you help us improve the facilities?

Please consider donating to Creek Creative CIC using our PayPal DONATE BUTTON on the ‘About’ page. We guarantee that any funds received will be spent carefully on improvements to our artists’ facilities and to subsidise various exhibitions or promotional activities to support them. We are happy to hear specific suggestions if you have interesting ideas on how your money might be best deployed as Creek Creative continues to evolve.

New Courses:

If you are interested in an art/design discipline but can’t find a course let us know – especially if you are a small group of friends thinking of learning together in an informal class – as we may be able to set up a new class just for you. Call Anne on 01795 535515 or email info@creek-creative.org