Updated Saturday 22nd January 2022

NEWS (see also our Facebook Page) + Take a look inside Creek Creative via the updated VIRTUAL TOUR 2020-21 (Link)

NEW SIGNAGE BACK IN JUNE 2021 SHORTLY AFTER RE-OPENING IN APRIL POST LOCKDOWN-3

Creek looking fine at 6pm on 10/06/21, with new signage completed (11 years & 11 months from taking up residence at No.1 Abbey Street).

Thankfully all our visitors, customers, studioholders, local artists, makers and local creative folk have now had full access for over eight months since mid-May 2021. As this hugely challenging Coronavirus pandemic continues, with all its casualties, restrictions and ongoing mutations, we hope that the worst is behind us (public area face-coverings & crowd avoidance, plus frequent hand washing is advisable but voluntary).

After the very challenging years 2021 & 2020, let us focus on an improved 2022 moving forward towards a full recovery. We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a highly creative and productive restart after the break, with best wishes for a more prosperous new year.

‘TRIO’ IN CONVERSATION WITH BOB (1ST ‘ARTISTS IN CONVERSATION’ SESSION)

	We've had an excellent response to the first 'Artists in Conversation' (4-5pm, Thursday 18th November 2021). This a new Creek initiative hoping to better inform visitors about exhibiting artists and their practice in more depth. Our regular gallery curator Robert Lamoon was in conversation with Sarah Ackroyd, Jacqueline Summer & RJ Laurenson, the three artists of the current #GroupShow TRIO.

NOVEMBER’S ‘REMEMBER THIS NOW’ BY KENT ARTISTS + SWALE FRIENDS OF THE EARTH DURING COP26

The ‘Remember This Now’ EXHIBITION featured work created by Kent artists in response to the Climate Crisis. This #GroupShow was available for #OneWeekOnly (Tuesday 2nd to Sunday 7th November 2021) as part of the Swale Friends of the Earth RISE! to Action Campaign, while world leaders gathered for the #COP26 international climate talks. Click player below to hear the “LISSENER” drama (Feral Practice and Esi Eshun) associated with the ‘Remember This Now’ show.

“Lissener is a darkly comic audio drama that draws out the ecology and history of Oare Gunpowder Works, Creek and Marshes. As two human narrators unfold Oare’s explosive past and current environmental challenges, their dialogue is informed and interrupted by several local creaturely characters, including noctule bats, wading birds, a bamboo worm and a southern hawker dragonfly.”

OUR LOWER GALLERY IS STILL AVAILABLE TO HIRE FOR EXHIBITIONS!

Since the pandemic the Lower Gallery has been used much more as a workshop teaching space, but is still available for exhibitions that can fit around these other bookings (see calendar). With many pandemic-related adaptations to date we hope this multi-use space will continue to host courses and workshops alongside any scheduled presentations, meetings and exhibitions. Please email Anne if you are interested in the options. The last conventional LG exhibition was ‘Mental Health in Pictures’ from Dorota Chioma (originally Tuesday 27th October to Sunday 8th November 2020 – but closed 4pm Wednesday 4th November) in association with the Centrepieces Mental Health Arts Project.

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.

GALLERY + ARTISAN SHOP OPEN AS NORMAL WITH GALLERY KITCHEN CAFE FULL INDOOR SERVICE FROM 19TH JULY 2021

Following the #Lockdown3 end and Upper Gallery / Artisan Shop re-opening on the 13th April 2021 (‘Step 2’) with continued Social Distancing, face-covering & outdoor service only, our Gallery Kitchen Café resumed indoor service (‘Step 3’) from Tuesday 18th May. The Café was subject to the ‘Rule of Six or 2x Households’ + #SocialDistancing + #WearMask (with some classes & workshops re-starting but limited to six people including tutor) until ‘Step 4’ began on 19th July. In effect this meant from Tuesday 20th July here at Creek, when the ‘new normal’ began.

CLOSURE IMPROVEMENTS / ADAPTING TO THE PANDEMIC – A FEW EXAMPLES…

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).

Below: Photos of Artisan Shop revamp, Gallery Kitchen Cafe counter & Upper Gallery exhibition (04/08/20).

Below: Photos of Gallery Kitchen Cafe counter detail & Print Studio lighting upgrade (31/08/20).

Below: Photos of new Lower Gallery ventilation system installation (11/11/20).

Below: Photos of new Lower Gallery #SocialDistancing Floor Markers (14/11/20).

COVID-19 CLOSURES (SAT 21ST MAR – MON 3RD AUG + THU 5TH NOV – WED 2ND DEC + SUN 20TH DEC – SUN 11TH APR 2021)

This challenging year started with #Lockdown1 (21/03/20 to 03/08/20), and after many modifications we reopened from 04/08/20 to 04/11/20 with all the familiar Social Distancing and major new hygiene measures. We closed again for 4 weeks on #Lockdown2 (05/11/20 to 02/12/20), but re-opened with our Christmas Emporium 2020 in a #Tier3 region from 03/12/20 to 19/12/20, however we had to close it 5 days early ie from Sun 20th Dec, when Kent was raised to #Tier4. With #Lockdown3 declared in January (04/01/21 to 11/04/21), ‘Step 2’ for re-opening started 12/04/21, which for us meant re-opening from Tuesday 13th April with full interior activity restrictions. ‘Step 3’ began 17/05/21, so from Tuesday 18th May our Cafe was fully open to resume indoor service, but subject to the ‘Rule of Six or 2x Households’ until 21st June 19th July, when all compulsory restrictions ended in ‘Step 4’. (All restrictions remain subject to further government advisory reviews.)

Watch this space (or see our Facebook Page) for further developments. Please also check latest government guidance and updates here.

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.

ONLINE GALLERY: CREEK POSTER RETROSPECTIVE UP TO JULY 2020

This video 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.

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’ .

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.

FEEDBACK

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