We are delighted to announce that UCA Canterbury will now be custodians of Whitstable Biennale's physical archive. Their generous commitment to holding the archive ensures it will remain cared for and accessible into the future.
We're also happy to share whitstablebiennale.com has been updated and will remain online as a publicly accessible digital archive of all previous Biennale events. (We're still updating the site with additional photos and info over the coming months!)
To mark this news, and to say goodbye to the Biennale, last month we were honoured to present one final new work. Starting at the ancient All Saints Church, artist Sara Trillo (@saratrillo ) led a small group of former Biennale staff and trustees on a journey through town.
Making its way through the myriad tracks and alleyways that run through Whitstable, Sara's performative walk, 'Swept Away', shared rituals drawing on historical events and local mythologies around submerged settlements, land reclamation, agricultural traditions, and folkloric customs.
We’d like to say a final thank you to everyone who supported the Biennale over the last 20 years. It wouldn't have been possible without the generous and enthusiastic contributions of all the artists, volunteers, staff, local people, and visitors involved!
Images: Sara Trillo, 'Swept Away', 2024. Photo: Samuel Taylor
This week, as Sue Jones steps down after 17 years as our Director, we are sharing the news that last year's Whitstable Biennale will be the final edition. As Cement Fields continues to grow, we will carry forward the legacy of the Biennale in our work across North Kent, collaborating with artists, young people, and local communities to create ambitious new art, including plans for future festivals.
Since the first Biennale in 2002, it has been our immense pleasure to work closely with early-career artists to commission and showcase ambitious and experimental new contemporary visual art in Whitstable. We would like to thank everyone in the town - the local people, residents, and businesses - that have supported the festival, as well as all the artists, volunteers, staff, and visitors who have contributed so much over the last 20 years and been an integral part of Whitstable Biennale’s success.
Over the coming year, Sue will continue working with us as an Associate Curator to archive all ten editions of the Biennale so that its history, including details of all its projects, is preserved and remains publicly available and accessible.
Image: Katie Paterson, All The Dead Stars, Whitstable Biennale 2010. Photo: Simon Steven
Listen to part of Anna Barham‘s Whitstable Biennale 2022 commission, 'Seasferic', on the website now for a limited time.
A sound work that used the sea as a medium to distort and transmit a spoken text, 'Seasferic' addresses the limits of verbal language in, and between, liquid bodies and recalls the history of pirate radio stations in the Thames Estuary.
The work was performed live by Anna and sound artist Paul Abbott on Whitstable Harbour’s west quay and broadcast online, with the audience in Whitstable watching and listening via headphones from the beach.
Listen to an extract of the audio via the link in our bio.
@banana_harm
#WhitstableBiennale #WhitstableBiennale2022
Image: Anna Barham, Seasferic, Whitstable Biennale 2022. Photo: Rob Harris
See an excerpt from Arianne Churchman‘s Whitstable Biennale 2022 commission 'When We Were in Horseback' on the website now.
A performative walk in which Whitstable became a stable for unstable and tangled collective histories. 'When We Were in Horseback' invited visitors to don the cloak of the hooden horse and join a procession through the town, tracing the shape of a horse through collective shared actions, song and the sound of bells.
Watch the video via the link in our bio.
@ariannechurchman
#WhitstableBiennale #WhitstableBiennale2022
Image: Arianne Churchman, When We Were in Horseback, Whitstable Biennale 2022. Photo: Rob Harris
You can now listen to Anna-Maria Nabirye's 'The Funnest Room in the House – Afterword' on the website for a limited time.
Presented as part of Whitstable Biennale 2022, this audio work was created after Anna-Maria’s installation, 'The Funnest Room in the House', was destroyed by a fire in the build-up to the festival.
“With the ashes still warm I’m holding firm and responding to this moment with an audio work that speaks to the act of trying to create a celebration of Black Joy and that advocates for a work that no longer exists. A work that carries the pain, the exhaustion, the community, the love and the joy I still hold for 'The Funnest Room in the House' and all it represents.” – Anna-Maria Nabirye
Taking inspiration from the kitchens of Anna-Maria’s childhood and those of her diaspora peers, 'The Funnest Room in the House' invited visitors to travel through time and space to explore a Black British kitchen collected from many pasts.
Listen to the audio via the link in our bio.
Commissioned for Whitstable Biennale. Supported by @JerwoodArts .
@amnabirye
#WhitstableBiennale #WhitstableBiennale2022
Image: Anna-Maria Nabirye, Self-portrait taken in the kitchen she grew up in. She wears a gomesi and eats beans on toast., 2022
We're pleased to be sharing documentation of Nicole Bachmann‘s Whitstable Biennale 2022 commission, 'shell of hope, in cycles', online for a limited time.
'shell of hope, in cycles' brings together movement and voice to explore the forming of subjectivity and relationships in our present time. The performance work, which took place on Seasalter beach as part of Whitstable Biennale 2022, is informed by the pressing issues of Brexit, hostile immigration policies, and water pollution.
Watch the full video via the link in our bio.
Supported by @prohelvetia and @swissculturalfund .
@friendsfanzine
#WhitstableBiennale #WhitstableBiennale2022
Image: Nicole Bachmann, 'shell of hope, in cycles', Whitstable Biennale 2022. Photo: Rob Harris
Today we announce that our Director Sue Jones will be stepping down at the end of March 2023.
In her 17 years leading the organisation, we have delivered 10 editions of Whitstable Biennale, a visual art festival that developed an international reputation for producing experimental new work with early-career artists, and grown into Cement Fields, extending our programme across North Kent from Dartford to Whitstable.
Therefore, we are now recruiting for a new Director to take on the artistic and strategic leadership of the organisation.
This is an exciting opportunity to lead Cement Fields into a new phase and ensure our ambitious artistic programme, working collaboratively with artists and communities across North Kent, continues to thrive.
Find out more about the role at cementfields.org/opportunities.
Image: Webb-Ellis, This place is a message (production photo), 2022. Photo courtesy of the artists.
@cementfields
We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in and attended this year’s Whitstable Biennale!
It’s been delight to see so many people in Whitstable for this tenth edition of the festival, and we hope you enjoyed exploring the programme as much as we did sharing it with you.
We’d especially like to thank all the artists, partners, staff, and supporters whose hard work, kindness, and commitment made it all possible.
We’ll be sharing our highlights from the festival over the coming weeks, and you can see the full programme in the archive at whitstablebiennale.com.
Don't forget to keep sharing your images and comments with us on socials.
#WhitstableBiennale #WhitstableBiennale2022
Image: Mimi Khalvati, Afterwardness, Whitstable Biennale 2022. Photo: Rob Harris
It’s the last day of Whitstable Biennale 2022!
There is still time to experience live performances, film screenings, installations, sound works, walks, and workshops by over 60 artists in unique locations around Whitstable.
We have venues open from 10:00 until 17:00, and several one-off events and performances to catch.
Today’s highlights include:
Sarah Craske, ‘An Eco-Hauntology’
14:00-17:00
@ Dead Man’s Corner
A site-specific installation incorporating ethereal sounds, film and images that play against a screen of seawater vapour. Originally intended to be shown in a cockle salination room in The Cockle Shed, it has been reimagined for display in a shipping container in Whitstable Harbour.
Anna Barham, ‘Seasferic’ High tide (approx 17:18)
@ West Quay
A live sound work, broadcast from West Quay via internet radio to a watching audience, using the sea as a medium to distort and transmit a spoken text and address the limits of verbal language. (See the guide or speak to a member of staff for details on how to tune in)
Olivia Furber with Nour Sokhon and Ramzi Maqdisi, ‘Voyage to Neutralia’
14:30 & 17:00
Starting @ Horsebridge Arts Centre
An audio guided walk along Whitstable’s coastline. This speculative fiction, taking you to the shores of the fictional island state of Neutralia, reflects on our shared crises and what kind of a future we want to build together. (Places still available, just turn up)
Madeleine Ruggi, ‘TRANSMISSION—CARRIER’
Multiple times
@ Whitstable Boat Trips
An audio work to be experienced on boat trips from Whitstable Harbour to the Kentish Flats offshore wind farm and Red Sands Fort, which embraces the wind’s textural materiality and harnesses it as a sonic element. (Booking required, speak to Whitstable Boat Trips for details)
Visit any of our venues to pick up a festival guide, which includes a map and details of all the works, and see the full programme at whitstablebiennale.com.
Whitstable Biennale 2022 takes place from Saturday 11 June to Sunday 19 June.
#WhitstableBiennale #WhitstableBiennale2022
Image: Arianne Churchman, When We Were in Horseback, Whitstable Biennale 2022. Photo: Rob Harris
This weekend is the last chance to catch this year's Biennale!
Alongside exhibitions and installations, we have an exciting programme of events and performances.
Today’s highlights include:
Jennet Thomas & The Curdles, ‘The Error Mode’
14:00-14:15 & 16:00-16:15
@ Dead Man’s Corner
A live musical performance by cult members from Jennet Thomas‘ new Folk-Sci-Fi film 'The Great Curdling’, providing you with the advice, warnings, and chastisement you need to survive.
Olivia Furber with Nour Sokhon and Ramzi Maqdisi, ‘Voyage to Neutralia’
Multiple times
Starting @ Horsebridge Arts Centre
An audio guided walk along Whitstable’s coastline. This speculative fiction, taking you to the shores of the fictional island state of Neutralia, reflects on our shared crises and what kind of a future we want to build together.
Madeleine Ruggi, ‘TRANSMISSION—CARRIER’
Multiple times
@ Whitstable Boat Trips
An audio work to be experienced on boat trips from Whitstable Harbour to the Kentish Flats offshore wind farm and Red Sands Fort, which embraces the wind’s textural materiality and harnesses it as a sonic element.
Swan Nemesis, ‘Sādhanā’
15:00-16:00
@ The Old Bank
A live performance re-activating Dipesh Pandya’s immersive, multi-sensory audiovisual installation, ‘Black Case Volume III after Joseph Jarman’.
Patrizia Longhitano, 'Poetry Fortune Tellers'
14:15-16:15
@ Dead Man’s Corner
A drop-in family-friendly workshop, guiding you to make your own poetry fortune tellers.
Aimée Zito Lema, ‘The Sea as Common Ground’
19:30-20:00 & 20:30-21:00
@ Whitstable Museum Courtyard
Two live performances at Whitstable Museum incorporating video projection, sound, and live reading, excavating different histories related to the sea in Whitstable and the wider region.
Although some events require booking, speak to a member of staff as tickets may still be available.
Visit any of our venues to pick up a festival guide and see the full programme at whitstablebiennale.com.
Whitstable Biennale 2022 takes place from Saturday 11 June to Sunday 19 June.
#WhitstableBiennale #WhitstableBiennale2022
Image: Alicia Radage, MOTHER BENT, Whitstable Biennale 2022. Photo: Rob Harris
There are only three days left to catch the this year’s Whitstable Biennale.
We have more than 75 live performances, film screenings, installations, sound works, walks, and workshops in venues and unique locations across Whitstable.
All our exhibitions and installation are open from 10:00 until 17:00 today, and we have several performances and events happening too:
Olivia Furber with Nour Sokhon and Ramzi Maqdisi, ‘Voyage to Neutralia’
14:00-15:00
Starting @ Horsebridge Arts Centre
An audio guided walk along Whitstable’s coastline. This speculative fiction, taking you to the shores of the fictional island state of Neutralia, reflects on our shared crises and what kind of a future we want to build together. (Limited capacity, speak to a member of staff for more details.)
Swan Nemesis, ‘Sādhanā’
15:00-16:00
@ The Old Bank
One of a series of new live performances re-activating Dipesh Pandya’s immersive, multi-sensory audiovisual installation, ‘Black Case Volume III after Joseph Jarman’. (Limited capacity, speak to a member of staff for more details.)
Ben Judd, ‘The Push and the Pull’
18:00
@ Whitstable Harbour
Today the boat leaves from Queenborough, with a performance of Ben Judd’s ‘The Push and the Pull’ as it travels between Sheppey and Whitstable. Once the boat arrives in Whitstable, there will be a performance by Big Fish Arts.
Visit any of our venues to pick up a festival guide, which includes a map and details of all the works, and see the full programme at whitstablebiennale.com.
Whitstable Biennale 2022 takes place from Saturday 11 June to Sunday 19 June.
#WhitstableBiennale #WhitstableBiennale2022
Image: Webb-Ellis, This place is a message, Whitstable Biennale 2022. Photo: Rob Harris
Alongside our exhibitions and installations, we have an exciting programme of events and performances.
Check the website for details of what’s happening over the next few days - some works require booking in advance.
Today’s events include:
Olivia Furber with Nour Sokhon and Ramzi Maqdisi, ‘Voyage to Neutralia’
14:00-15:00
Starting @ Horsebridge Arts Centre
An audio guided walk along Whitstable’s coastline. This speculative fiction, taking you to the shores of the fictional island state of Neutralia, reflects on our shared crises and what kind of a future we want to build together.
Ben Judd, ‘The Push and the Pull’
11:30-16:00
Today the boat leaves from Whitstable, with a performance of Ben Judd’s ‘The Push and the Pull’ as it travels between Whitstable and Sheppey.
Exhibitions are open from 10:00 until 17:00 at venues around town, including The Horsebridge, The Old Bank, Wesley Hall, Whitstable Library Lecture Hall, 1 Red Lion Lane, Dead Man’s Corner, and works at multiple locations on Harbour Street and in the Harbour.
Visit any of our venues to pick up a festival guide, which includes a map and details of all the works, and see the full programme at whitstablebiennale.com.
Whitstable Biennale 2022 takes place from Saturday 11 June to Sunday 19 June.
#WhitstableBiennale #WhitstableBiennale2022
Image: Nicole Bachmann, ‘shell of hope, in cycles’, Whitstable Biennale 2022. Photo: Samuel Taylor
