Down by the sea: visual arts, artists and coastal regeneration

Abstract

This paper takes a critical approach to the arts-led regeneration of Margate, south east England. It argues that regeneration policy has effectively utilised local characteristics to recreate Margate as an artful space, and has stimulated a local milieu of artistic and cultural activity. However, though the work of local artists is vital in producing Margate as a creative place, local artists are marginalised by policy interventions focussed on attracting new consumers and investors. Thus, this paper argues that a misplaced policy emphasis is failing to support the labour and social relations on which the interpretation of places as ‘creative’ is built, and arguably undermines the sustainability of an arts-based regeneration. This has implications for culture-led policy, calling for greater attention to be paid to the specific locations in which it is deployed, and to the networks of producers whose labour is critical to its success.

Keywords:

• culture-led urban policy
• arts-led regeneration
• cultural work
• coastal towns

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Supported projects include galleries and public art installations in Bexhill-on-Sea, Ilfracombe and Hastings.

2. A fishing town west along the Kent coast from Margate that has developed one of the strongest English seaside economies (Beatty et al. 2008, p. 65).