Sustainable tourism cinderella destination goes to the ball

Turner changes Margate – now time to dream on and capitalize on success

Not so long ago, the little UK coastal resort of Margate could have been described as the sad face of tourism. Low grade tourism, a depressed community and very little to offer the modern tourism industry – or indeed the modern tourist.

Turner changed all that. Supported by local  ‘Young British Artist’ Tracey Emin and friends – the Turner Gallery opened in April 2011 and painted a completely different picture.

Intended as a contemporary arts space and catalyst for the regeneration of the town, the title commemorates the association of the town with noted landscape painter – J M. W. Turner, – another local artist who went to school in Margate, and visited throughout his life.

The controversial building was designed by David Chipperfield, whose design for the 3 storey, 20 metres gallery has been criticized for being "alien, brutal and bleak".

Over 14,000 people visited in the first weekend and 500,000 in its first year. In August 2013 the gallery received its millionth visitor.

The scheme was supported by the world-famous artist Tracey Emin, who opened it and was brought up in Margate, and various funding bodies including Kent County Council, with a £6.4 million contribution, Thanet District Council, who provided the land, South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), who provided £4 million the Arts Council England with support to the value of £4.1 million and the European Union. It is the largest dedicated visual arts venue in Kent.

In November 2011, the venue received an award from the British Guild of Travel Writers, highlighting the contribution of Turner Contemporary to the visual arts scene in Britain, Europe and more widely. Queen Elizabeth II visited Turner Contemporary on 11 November 2011, as part of a wider trip to Margate.

And the next step for Margate – a retro dream…

Dreamland Margate, the world’s first heritage amusement park, is set to re-open next year, following a eleven-year campaign to bring back to life one of Britain’s most iconic seaside institutions. The re-imagined Dreamland Margate will be the vision of award-winning designers HemingwayDesign in partnership with The Dreamland Trust and Thanet District Council, creating a unique vintage-style amusement park to once again thrill visitors from far and wide.

Considered to be one of the oldest-surviving amusement parks in Great Britain, Dreamland’s origins date back to the great British railway boom of the early 1860s when, in its original form, the Hall by the Sea (originally a railway terminal building) was operated by the famous circus impresario, ‘Lord’ George Sanger. For many generations Dreamland thrilled and delighted visitors to Margate and sustained the community.

Following the announcement of its closure in 2006, in 2008 the scenic railway was the subject of an arson attack destroying twenty five percent of the structure. The Dreamland Trust and the local community, along with the significant support of Thanet District Council to compulsory purchase the site, successfully saved Dreamland and fought to bring back to life a vital aspect of British seaside amusement park heritage.

Opening next year, the re-imagined Dreamland is the vision of HemingwayDesign led by Wayne Hemingway MBE, Gerardine Hemingway MBE and Jack Hemingway, who will be delivering both the curation of the visitor experience as well as the brand identity for what will be a unique, quintessentially British visitor attraction. Wayne Hemingway’s genuine passion for the British seaside will embody the creative use of up-cycled amusement park artefacts and fairground paraphernalia that have been an integral part of British culture over the last century. Collected from across the UK, visitors will be able to delight at a variety of up-cycled seaside artefacts including large-scale Tiffany Lamps donated from the Blackpool Illuminations collection.

The new 16-acre amusement park will also house three listed structures and a collection of heritage assets, including the restored Grade II* listed Scenic Railway – Britain’s oldest rollercoaster, 15 rides dating back to the 1920s – many of which are the last remaining examples of their kind in the world – from the 1950s Hurricane Jets, the original Dreamland Gallopers, the Double Deckers and the much loved Caterpillar; 1870s Grade II-listed menagerie cages – the last of their kind in the world, classic side shows, destination dining and evocative spaces drawing on Dreamland’s legacy throughout the decades.

The site will also be capable of hosting, large-scale events, national festivals and visiting attractions to celebrate the history of popular British culture, music, film and design.

Eddie Kemsley, Director at Dreamland Margate, said: "Ever since its early origins Dreamland has been the heartbeat of Margate. Throughout the years it has maintained a loyal audience and we are thrilled to have HemingwayDesign working with us on a vision that we believe is set to change the face of seaside entertainment! From lovers of the arts and design, through to families of all ages, the re-imagined Dreamland will be on assault on all the senses for lovers of Britain’s seaside heritage"

Wayne Hemingway MBE, award-winning designer at HemingwayDesign, said: "To say we are excited about building the vision for Dreamland – an iconic British seaside institution, is a massive understatement!  There is a palpable feeling of energy throughout Margate, with a grassroots creative revolution that only looks set to continue as more and more young artists continue to make the move. I can’t think of a better time for Dreamland to open and once again thrill holidaymakers from far and wide. Dreamland is waiting for you."

Cllr Iris Johnston, Leader of Thanet District Council, said: "Dreamland holds a special place in the hearts of the local community. Public support for the project has been overwhelming and I’m delighted that as a council we were able to act boldly to help drive this forward. Opening a new major UK visitor attraction will bring huge potential and is significant in the continued regeneration of Margate. The wider economic impact realised following the opening of Turner Contemporary is testament to that. I can’t wait to see the progress on site as HemingwayDesign help to turn this vision into reality."

The opening of the re-imagined Dreamland forms part of a wider cultural regeneration project for Margate and the Isle of Thanet along the Kent coast, spearheaded by the opening of the Turner Contemporary in 2011.

Next year’s hotly anticipated opening of Dreamland, forms part of a funding package of £18 million which includes significant investment from the council and external funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and from the Department for Culture Media and Sport’s Sea Change Programme. 

Valere Tjolle

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