About Folkestone Fringe

Where creative possibilities begin.

Folkestone Fringe is a platform for public, participatory and place-based art — shaped by artists, powered by communities, and rooted in this town.

We started in 2007, founded by Niamh Sullivan, Laura Mansfield, Matt Rowe, Denice Dever, Gerry Kelly and Diane Dever in response to the first Folkestone Triennial. The idea was simple: if the world was coming to Folkestone for art, we wanted to make sure it saw what was already here. We used that international moment to raise the profile of artists living locally, and to invite new artists in.

What began as a parallel programme has since become a platform in its own right. Over the years, Folkestone Fringe has supported hundreds of projects. We've welcomed people with big ideas and found ways to build them into festivals, installations and one-off moments of magic.

From bringing Little Amal through the town, to transforming the Harbour Arm into a thriving creative space, to helping schoolchildren exhibit their first pieces of public art… our work is always about connection. We champion art that asks questions. That responds to place. That turns personal stories into public experiences.

We’ve both benefited from and contributed to the cultural changes happening within Folkestone. And we’re still focused on what’s next. Our ambition is to help nurture the next generation of local makers, curators, and producers, so that Folkestone continues to grow its own creative future.

We run a programme in parallel with the Triennial to this day - not to duplicate it, but to complement and amplify. As the town welcomes global voices, we make space for local ones. Because art made here, about here, with the people who live here, matters.

Powered by Folkestone artists. Open to all.