Maidstone's Riverside Art & Makers Fair-Launching 30th July at Maidstone River Festival

Vision:

To create an Arts & Makers fair on the banks of the River Medway in Maidstone “The Market Town of Kent”, providing a much needed attraction and destination benefiting the local & rural business community through tourism & town footfall. This project is an attraction that is for the community, by the community. Creating a much needed Arts quarter to the borough. This Event is not to be a traders market for wholesale or for the sale of goods brought to sell! It is a platform for Kentish people and their talent. This project has a number of Aims. These are as follows:

1. To create a non-profit platform for the Arts & Makers of Kent
2. To create a multicultural, cross generation, community driven project that brings people & minds together. A platform that bridges the gap between society’s nomadic boundaries of age, back ground, education & ability through the medium of the Arts.
3. To make the most of an area that is underused. introducing people to an area that has a wonderfully history and architecture, sympathetically creating a theme that people can be proud off and celebrate
4. To create a self help platform where individuals, art groups & societies, schools, Universities & Charities can raise funds and gain exposure to talent. For example:
a. An art student is able to sell his/her art to help them fund their way through college.
b. A charity or school is able to gain exposure for their cause whilst raising funds for their internal projects or charity.
c. A pensioner is able to socialise and meet people while raising funds to assist their pension.
5. Being the Market Town of Kent this project will assist in rectifying a shortfall by creating an interest point to the town for tourism and the community. A destination for coach trips and tourists who visit and stay in the borough while raising the profile of Kent through the arts and culture.  

Arts & Makers Display list

Paintings: Portraits, Landscapes, Landmarks, Contemporary, Illustration etc.
Photography, Jewellery, Sculpture, Embroidery, Ornaments, Glass, Crafts, Pottery, Soft furnishings, furnishings, cottage industry type items, Music, Visual arts, Wood craft, Metal Craft, Dance, poetry, Literature, Performances: short plays, Opera, club displays Etc.

Event high level framework:

1. The licence requested is for all year round. This request is based on our current muddled seasons where it is not known which month is going to produce our summer sun. Our aim is to stage the fair throughout the summer months and over the Christmas period. Starting in April through to October and again through December.
2. We require a 7 day a week licence, but aim to initially start off on Saturdays & Sundays to build the event up and then expand there after into the rest of the week.
3. This event is a non profit, volunteer project
4. The Barge Riverside Restaurant will be the organisers & manage the event through its owner James Bailey & other Volunteers. It is important that there is an MBC assigned co-ordinator to provide a communication point between event management & MBC.
5. Bookings will be managed to ensure a fair and consistence approach to the fair operation.
6. Exhibitors will be required to do the following to gain access to the event.
a. Outline their offering and when applicable show their works to the organiser for event content management.
b. Provide address and contact details to organiser.
c. Sign a statement of terms (to be agreed with MBC)
d. Provide copies/proof of public liability insurance) this is accessible at a reduced cost through Maidstone arts society £36 year £5m cover if not already held and can be used at other events throughout the year.

For more infomation on getting involved email: art@the-barge.co.uk