Revisit past festivals

Nostalgic as it may seem, we enjoy documenting our successes (and we know you love reminiscing about good times!). So, here is an archive of what took place at Open Art Folke in recent years. If you weren't there, honestly, what are you waiting for!?

2025: The Triennial Edition

For our Triennial Edition we invited anyone with a spark of imagination and a point of view to open up and share their energy. The festival ran across the entire summer and into the autumn, 25 July - 19 October. It included two action-packed weekends (we called them Blooms) and an end of Summer open party (Fête of Folkestone) held in Payers Park in collaboration with Under The Moon Art Market.

225 artists took part, across 115 projects and 74 Venues thanks to the support of 14 sponsors.

Thanks to a 12-week season of art and events—which at points seemed it might as well become a permanent engagement(!)—we became one of the longest-running grassroots art festivals in Kent. This edition and its overlap with the 2025 Folkestone Triennial taught us a tremendous amount, above all about audience participation, assessing our impact, and caring for our volunteers.

  • A man plays a string instrument on a stage, while another person stands nearby, singing. The background shows a crowd enjoying a festive outdoor event.
  • A handmade sign pictured against the blue sky reads "one fete, full day"
  • a woman takes a picture of a large quilt on display in a busy gallery
  • Person holds several red, "Open Art Folke" maps
  • Colorful protest signs with messages promoting love, acceptance, and individuality are displayed outdoors on a kiosk-like structure
  • A quilt hangs on the wall with the text "Killing Others Will NOT Bring Back the Dead"
  • Four people are engaged in an art workshop around a table filled with art supplies in an inviting studio space.
  • An artist is engaged in creating her work. She is sat at a tall table, around her is clay-related equipment
  • Artist sits at a small table in a studio, sketching while surrounded by his paintings on the walls.
  • a triptych of paintings in black ink on white canvas represent bodies of fat women
  • Drawings, paintings, an easel and a installation in a quiet, sunlit gallery
  • A woman relaxes on a couch while a man prepares coffee in the nearby kitchen. Art hangs on the wall behind them.

2024: And so it begins

The advantage of humble beginnings, we know now, is that there were no expectations.

The inaugural Open Art Folke took place between 13 – 22 September in studios and venues across Folkestone. It brought together over 100 artists, designers and makers across ten days of creative events and activities.

Many participants opted for open studios, but some surprised us with talks, workshops, walks, and curated exhibitions. Not to mention the installations and interventions that were revealed along the way—if you were there, you might remember a lot of disposable film cameras knocking about all over town!

The Brewery Tap Project Space (RIP), along with Kollectiv, acted as our festival hubs and offered spaces to gather and discuss experiences. Thanks to the help of Folkestone Fringe, we were also able to launch an art market, which we sadly have no pictures to prove how amazing it looked.

  • committee members smiling and posing for a group photo
  • Colourful artwork representing a Mexican wrestling match
  • A beautiful see-through coat with intricate paper inserts weaved into it is worn by a person standing by the seashore
  • A person works at a printing station, preparing for a screen print.
  • Dog on a leash in a gallery

Registration for the 2026 edition has now closed. However, you can still apply to exhibit at our sister event, held in partnership with Docker Brewery.

Apply to Docker's exhibition Deadline: 19 July 2026