Green light for Turner Contemporary in Margate

Turner Contemporary press release, 24 July 2008

Arts Council England (ACE) and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) will provide £8.1million towards Turner Contemporary, a visionary art gallery to be built on Margate’s seafront.

 

Designed by internationally renowned architect, David Chipperfield, Turner Contemporary is a world class design. Alongside the best of contemporary art, the gallery will show works by JMW Turner reflecting the famous artist’s links with the South Coast town. The new centre, featuring galleries, a café, conference and studio space, is expected to put Margate on the arts map.

 

Sally Abbott, Director of Arts at Arts Council England, South East said: ”We are absolutely delighted that SEEDA have confirmed their partnership and commitment to this dramatic and important new gallery in Margate. This will be a landmark building representing a huge achievement for artists and arts development in the south east and beyond. This is an exciting time for the project and we look forward to working with all the stakeholders locally and nationally to make the vision a successful reality.”

 

Pam Alexander, Chief Executive of SEEDA and Chair of the Margate Renewal Partnership said: "The SEEDA Board is pleased to support this world class opportunity to bring culture-led regeneration to Margate, reinforcing the investments that SEEDA has already made in the town centre. Margate can now move ahead confidently with its plans for Turner Contemporary and this striking new architect-designed building. We see this as a great opportunity to boost the town’s economic development, bringing jobs and business to the community and supporting the cultural and creative businesses that are already making Margate’s old town their home.”

 

Mike Hill, Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Community Services, who is leading the project on behalf of the County Council said: “The Arts Council and SEEDA have been supportive of everything that we are trying to achieve with Turner Contemporary since the outset. These funding agreements demonstrate our partners’ confidence in the project and the impact it is going to have on the whole area.”

 

Sandy Ezekiel, Leader of Thanet District Council, who have provided the land for the gallery added: “This news is fantastic as Turner Contemporary will be a landmark building and one that will help with Margate’s economic regeneration. The council are working hard to regenerate Margate's old town and it is being transformed into a vibrant new cultural quarter. Much of that work has been because of the prospect of Turner Contemporary, which shows the impact it is already having on Margate and the town's regeneration.”

 

Notes to editors:

 

The funding decisions, £4.1m from ACE and £4m from SEEDA clear the way for work on the building to begin on site in October.

 

  • The total capital budget for the new gallery is £17.4m and today’s announcement, together with £6.4m agreed from Kent County Council (KCC), brings the total monies secured to £14.5m. A dedicated fundraising team, the Turner Contemporary Art Trust is already working with the private sector to secure the £2.9m that will complete the funding package.
  • Turner Contemporary celebrates the artist JMW Turner's links with Margate and promotes the understanding and enjoyment of historical and contemporary visual art. In the new gallery, works by Turner will be shown together with British and international art from 1750 to the present day. In addition to a Turner presence, there is a commitment to show work by artists who demonstrate a major contribution to current practice and who challenge and stretch the boundaries of our understanding of art and the way we perceive the world around us.
  • Planning permission was granted for the new gallery for Turner Contemporary in February this year and work is currently underway to appoint the contractor who will work with David Chipperfield Architects on the landmark building which will be built on Margate's seafront.
  • The two-storey gallery building, formed of six interlocking blocks and clad in glass, will feature a total of 750sq metres of gallery space. There will be a studio for educational purposes, a multifunctional space for talks, screenings and other events, café and shop.

 

Contacts for further information:

 

Arts Council England South East

Chloe Barker, Communications Officer

T 01273 763 053

E chloe.barker@artscouncil.org.uk

 

Kent County Council

Lisa Whitbread, Senior Media Relations Officer (Communities)

T 01622 694 177

E lisa.whitbread@kent.gov.uk

 

South East England Development Agency

Vivien Morgan,Communications Director

T 01483 501 398

E vivienmorgan@seeda.co.uk

 

Turner Contemporary

John Haywood, Marketing Director

T 01843 294 322

E jhaywood@turnercontemporary.org

 

ENDS