A Thanet community story
About the Isle of Culture
We didn't win the competition, but the Isle of Culture endures — an idea, a unifying concept that doesn't need to wait until 2029, or £10 million of Government funding, to start growing and being realised.
What was the Isle of Culture 2029?
Isle of Culture was a vision for what, by working together, the people of Thanet could achieve if the area was selected in the UK City of Culture 2029 competition.
(Yes, we know Thanet is not a City — but City-sized areas can bid together if they have a shared sense of place.)
We wanted to create a year-long programme where the whole Isle was alive with culture: when Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Birchington, Westgate and our villages became a connected island of creativity, celebration and transformation.
- Margate
- Ramsgate
- Broadstairs
- Birchington
- Westgate
- …and our villages
For us, culture is everything that makes a place vibrant and feel alive: art, music, performance, sport, museums and festivals, being active and relaxing in our green spaces and on our beaches, the food, drink and hospitality that brings people together, and the stories we tell and connections we make.
Our vision was shaped by our coastline, our history and nature's rhythms — sunsets, sunrises, the tides, the seasons. It recognised that culture plays a role in validating and showcasing the stories of people across the Isle and over time. People told us that they felt we were divided and operating as less than the sum of our parts: divided across towns and villages, between generations, between long-time residents and newcomers.
We took our inspiration from Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold.
Culture could be our gold. Joining us together, strengthening our whole, and showcasing our collective beauty.
We were the first ever community-led bid for City of Culture. We demonstrated the power of the community coming together, and how connections between people and places can be built from the bottom up.
We did not win the competition, but Isle of Culture endures: an idea, a unifying concept that doesn't need to wait until 2029, or need £10 million of Government funding, to start growing and being realised.
In residents' words
A few of the things people across Thanet told us.
Thanet's a rich hidden gem tucked away in this beautiful corner of Kent.
It feels increasingly important to focus on what connects us rather than what divides us… we have a chance to reflect and reinforce that collective identity, to tell stories that move across the coastline, the towns and the spaces in between.
Despite all the setbacks Thanet has suffered over the last 50 years, it has survived and is now on the brink of thriving once again.
How it began
From a single meeting to an island-wide movement, in just a few months.
October 2025
The competition opens
The UK Government announced its City of Culture 2029 competition. Thanet's towns could have competed against each other; instead the idea took hold to bid together, as one island.
8 January 2026
Twenty organisations meet at TKE Studios
Dame Tracey Emin hosted a first meeting, bringing together 20 organisations from across Thanet, including local councillors. The question was put: is there enough support for a community-led bid? The answer was unanimous — yes.
16 January 2026
Fifty organisations gather at Ramsgate FC
Fifty organisations gathered at Ramsgate FC to actively shape the bid, working through the key questions about Thanet's vision for 2029.
8 February 2026
Expression of Interest submitted
Informed by more than 750 resident survey responses, consultation meetings, existing research, the feedback of 25 local peer reviewers, and the support of over 100 local organisations.
18 March 2026
We were not longlisted
We found out we were not longlisted. We were told 'the panel enjoyed reading the Isle of Thanet's bid and praised it for being creative and artist-led, with a clear vision and distinct "sense of place".'
23 March 2026
A new bid for Margate
Thanet District Council decided to develop a bid for Margate for the Town of Culture competition, announced publicly on 26 March 2026. Decisions about whether Margate has been longlisted are expected by the end of the summer.
28 April 2026
Carrying ideas forward
Forty people gathered for a follow-up meeting at Ramsgate FC to discuss how we could take the ideas behind the Isle of Culture forward without Government funding. Next steps — including the development of this website — were agreed.
Everyone who has been involved in the Isle of Culture has been giving their time for free. There is no external funding.
What next?
In the consultation meetings and the residents' survey, we heard how people were sick of being consulted about what they wanted or what needed to improve, only for nothing to change or happen as a result. We didn't win the competition, but we made a commitment to take forward some of the ideas people had.
This website
This what's-on website: a free, year-round guide to everything happening across the Isle, so no one misses out for want of knowing.
A community-led culture strategy
A culture strategy for Thanet, shaped from the bottom up by the people who live here rather than handed down.
Working with schools
Working with schools to understand how culture can inspire local young people and create opportunities for them.
Why this website?
Many people — both residents and visitors — don't know what's on, don't know what's free, and often don't realise just how much is happening across the area. For example, there are more than 35 multi-day festivals across Thanet every year, and most people have never heard of half of them.
Results of our Resident Survey
- 70%
- said the biggest barrier to taking part in culture is simply not knowing what's on.
- 64%
- said that cost was a significant barrier to taking part in culture.
- 60%
- rated a year-round cultural and creative experience as a priority for boosting Thanet's economy.
Many residents — both long-term residents and newcomers — don't visit the other towns and villages and don't take advantage of how much is on offer. We want to encourage more people to try out what's going on in other towns.
Most visitors come for the beaches, but they're looking for experiences beyond them too: food, culture, things to do (see the 2025 Visitor Survey for more detail). Helping visitors discover more of what's on means longer stays, more spending, a better trip, not just a day on the sand. Thanet's economy is still seasonal, but with a more visible year-round cultural offer — as well as our amazing beaches — we can strengthen our economy and encourage businesses to invest.
A shared community asset
This website is a community asset, built and run by volunteers. We're inviting venues and event organisers across Thanet to help keep it up to date and to help spread the word.
We want to avoid advertising on the site, or having some venues and events pay for a higher profile or ranking.
We want to see the big players like Dreamland or the Turner listed alongside a pop-up spoken-word event or a charity football match.
For more information about the area
This site sits alongside some brilliant local sources of information, and we'd encourage you to check them all out, subscribe, or pick up a copy.
Many venues and event organisers also promote brilliantly through their own social media — you can follow them through the site. Our aim isn't to replace what exists: it's to give people one place to see it all in one go, and point them towards these other sources too.
2029 and beyond
Looking ahead
The next opportunity to bid for UK City of Culture will be in 2029 or 2030, and we want Thanet to be better placed to apply next time — and to show what's possible whether or not we do. That means building more community-owned cultural infrastructure, bringing in more resources, and creating a more coherent offer for residents and visitors alike.
Most of all, it means showing how much is already going on, and just how dynamic, vibrant and exciting this place is: to visit, to invest in, and to live in.
Credits & contact
With thanks to everyone who gave and gives their time to Isle of Culture.
- Photography
- Frank Leppard
- Visual identity
- Mike Goodson (@littlegoodson)