Sun Pier House

Sun Pier House Arts Organisation in Chatham. Gallery, Artist Studios, Community Hire Space, Cafe & Events Programme
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🎨 Join Our Thursday Art Club at Sun Pier House! 🎨Looking for a friendly and creative space to develop your art? Whether ...
29/01/2025

🎨 Join Our Thursday Art Club at Sun Pier House! 🎨

Looking for a friendly and creative space to develop your art? Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just getting started, our Thursday Art Club is the perfect place to explore, create, and connect!

🗓 Starts: Thursday 6th February
📍 When: Thursdays (Term Time) | 10am - 12pm
🖌 Duration: 20 weeks
💰 ONLY £234 for the full term (£11.70 per session!)

✨ What’s Included?
✔️ Artist-led sessions with Marissa Mardon Artist
✔️ Bring your own materials or dip into SPH’s Art Bank
✔️ A welcoming, supportive environment to work on your own projects or try something new

Come along, meet like-minded people, and enjoy a relaxed, inspiring morning of creativity!

📩 Spaces are limited – book now! Drop us a message or visit our website to secure your place.

Find out more at https://sunpierhouse.co.uk/open_arts/thursday-art-club/

Have you “seen” it? 👀Sun Pier House is featured in the latest edition .magazine 🎉Grab your copy and check out our brand-...
27/01/2025

Have you “seen” it? 👀

Sun Pier House is featured in the latest edition .magazine 🎉

Grab your copy and check out our brand-new advertisement and find out more about our new accessible hire spaces in Medways home for creativity ✨

Looking for something to do Saturday afternoon? FREE to book now!
23/01/2025

Looking for something to do Saturday afternoon? FREE to book now!

Award-winning comedian, author and podcaster Rosie Wilby explores the science of heartbreak and reveals the truth about how we can turn a breakup into an opportunity for healing, learning and growth.

GOOD NEWS No. 3! 📣🎉 Sun Pier House's sister organisation, Tiller & Wheel, has achieved a huge milestone by becoming the ...
17/12/2024

GOOD NEWS No. 3! 📣

🎉 Sun Pier House's sister organisation, Tiller & Wheel, has achieved a huge milestone by becoming the owner of its own wharf! 🎉

After running our own businesses for over 14 years, we've learnt how owning your own buildings and land can really set you apart and build a confident, sustainable future. It's something we're always striving for at SPH, but are yet to achieve (we rent our building).

Operating under our own terms, and developing a site for the purposes of the communities we serve, is an exciting new chapter for Tiller & Wheel. With undoubted benefits to our art and community networks in Medway (did someone say artist residencies?) 🤩

Learn more about Tiller & Wheel here - https://tillerandwheel.com/

Tiller & Wheel is a river heritage organisation operating across the Thames Estuary, set up by Ed Gransden and Heather Burgess (also our SPH Founders and Directors). As custodians for 3 National Historic Ships, Tiller & Wheel are creating a new community purpose for traditional East Coast vessels and have set up a ground-breaking model of free river experiences for all. With the support from public donations, subscriptions, sponsors and partners.



Image description:
1) aerial photo of Shoregate Wharf in Upchurch, the new site purchased by Tiller & Wheel
2) people sitting on deck of the Edith May, on a free Artist Retreat sailing experience in the summer
3) a man on the shore at Chatham, taking a photo of the Sailing Barge Edith May sailing past on the River Medway

This week’s Sun Pier House studio shoutout goes to our residents the MESS ROOM. The MESS ROOM is an inclusive space wher...
14/12/2024

This week’s Sun Pier House studio shoutout goes to our residents the MESS ROOM.

The MESS ROOM is an inclusive space where they facilitate fun, accessible, and innovative artistic workshops for all. Their open and collaborative approach promotes independence and community-led peer support, where all who work, and play strive to break down barriers and reduce social isolation.

With over 30 years of combined experience working with diverse groups, MESS ROOM Artists specialise in supporting people with disabilities to express themselves using a combination of inclusive activities and communication methods, with expertise in collaborating with people with sight loss.

Working across sectors, with schools, community partners to raise awareness, train and mentor the next generation of MESS ROOM advocates. As professional Artists they also develop unique commissions and exhibitions to promote the exceptional abilities of their participants, organise cultural events and projects that support inclusivity and equality for all.

To find out more about the MESS ROOM follow them on Instagram and Facebook over at:

Image Credit: MESS ROOM

Image Description: An image of a busy day in the MESS ROOM with many participants chatting to each other whilst working on colourful creations around a large table.

GOOD NEWS No.2 📣🎉 Sun Pier House and Intra Arts are joining forces, as a new community partner for Vistry and Hyde Housi...
12/12/2024

GOOD NEWS No.2 📣

🎉 Sun Pier House and Intra Arts are joining forces, as a new community partner for Vistry and Hyde Housing 🎉

Together, over 3 years, we will design and deliver a new arts programme specifically for the residents and communities of the Rochester Riverside development.

This is the first project of this nature for us, and we're so happy to have a long-term commitment that gives us the scope to develop something really wonderful and embedded with the residents, school and businesses.

Using our knowledge of the Medway arts community, the High Street businesses, local heritage and the river... It's fair to say we're buzzing with ideas.

Watch this space!

The Hyde Group Official FB Profile

Image descriptions:
1) the view from the river, looking towards the Rochester Riverside development, Rochester Cathedral and Rochester Castle
2) arts activity inside Sun Pier House, children and adults crafting around a table covered in multicoloured paper
3) aerial photo looking over the river Medway, Rochester Riverside, Chatham, and out towards the wider estuary.
4) close up image of a feedback activity, with a purple handwritten statement saying "I didn't know my local area was so interesting!"

This week’s Sun Pier House studio shoutout goes to our residents: Electric Medway.Electric Medway was founded in 2015 by...
07/12/2024

This week’s Sun Pier House studio shoutout goes to our residents: Electric Medway.

Electric Medway was founded in 2015 by Kevin Grist and Janet Moore and is known for its strong partnerships and commitment to tell immersive stories from Medway’s underrepresented communities, heritage, and folklore.

Their flagship Electric Medway Festival provides free shows, exhibitions, workshops, and trails for the public in libraries, schools, museums, shops and online, alongside work experience for young people each year.

“Ultimately, our vision is that technology and the arts together make Medway an innovative and exciting place to live, work, learn and visit.” – Electric Medway.

To see more about what Electric Medway has to offer, follow them on Instagram and Facebook over at:

Image Credit: Electric Medway.

Image Description: An image of Kevin and Janet standing by the river outside Sun Pier House late at night whilst the sun sets, holding two long cylindrical lights. There are silhouettes of buildings in the background.

GOOD NEWS No.1 - 🎉 Sun Pier House and Tiller & Wheel are thrilled to announce a ground-breaking collaborative new arts p...
04/12/2024

GOOD NEWS No.1 -

🎉 Sun Pier House and Tiller & Wheel are thrilled to announce a ground-breaking collaborative new arts programme - 300 Steps To The River 🎉

This project has been selected as one of eleven Creative Estuary co-commissions to celebrate and enrich six towns along the Thames Estuary in 2025.

Thank you to Creative Estuary and huge congratulations to everyone in this year’s cohort, we cannot wait to get started!

‘300 Steps To The River’ invites residents and visitors alike to explore, create, and connect with Chatham’s town centre and its proximity to the River Medway. This ambitious programme aims to deliver 300 activities and events, culminating in our popular Festival of Chatham Reach in September 2025.

Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with all that’s to come!
http://eepurl.com/h27pH9

Meet the fantastic cohort of co-commissions here: https://www.creativeestuary.com/press-releases-and-news/creative-estuary-announces-eleven-new-co-commissions/



Image Descriptions:
Image 1: An aerial photo of Sun Pier, Sun Pier House, Chatham river front and the surrounding towns.
Image 2: Graphic grey background with Creative Estuary logo and white and yellow text "meet our co-commission cohort"
Image 3: Graphic grey background with text “Working closely with our Local Authority partners, our Co-Commission Programme not only enhances the artistic landscape of the Thames Estuary but also builds connections that celebrate the area’s rich cultural heritage.” Lorraine Cox, Creative Estuary Director
Image 4: A colourful collage of 11 photos representing the various artists and organisations within the cohort

Watch this space! Three BIG announcements coming soon 🤩 We might appear quiet on the outside, but inside the office is a...
01/12/2024

Watch this space! Three BIG announcements coming soon 🤩

We might appear quiet on the outside, but inside the office is abuzz with good news 😃

Image description: a photo of the the SPH building on a sunny day, taken from the riverside, with blue skies and white clouds.

SHOUT OUT: MESS ROOM CIC are running a taster session tomorrow for their free visual arts programme for Medway residents...
18/11/2024

SHOUT OUT: MESS ROOM CIC are running a taster session tomorrow for their free visual arts programme for Medway residents, offering creative opportunities to local adults.

Participants can sign up for a series of workshops, plus scheduled group visits to cultural and heritage sites across the Medway Towns. Guided tours will inspire participants to get involved in cultural activities across Medway. At the end of the workshop programme, participants' work will be showcased in a public exhibition.

Join MESS ROOM tomorrow Tuesday 19th at 10.30am on the ground floor of Sun Pier House to learn more about the project and join in with some visual arts activities.

Workshops will then take place every Tuesday from 26 November until Tuesday 25 March 2025.

All adults are welcome. Sessions are free. Spaces are limited and must be pre-booked
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mess-room-creatives-taster-session-tickets-1064584082649

17/11/2024

Thank you 🙌 to everyone who popped in this weekend and helped raise money for Second Chance Charity.

From the revenue created by the auction, Second Chance Medway will be creating a fund specifically for individuals facing food insecurity and we have been so proud to support them. Well done everyone!

Tomorrow Tomorrow we love you tomorrow! We can't wait for the smell of coffee and cakes, to hear people chatting and to ...
15/11/2024

Tomorrow Tomorrow we love you tomorrow!

We can't wait for the smell of coffee and cakes, to hear people chatting and to see amazing art on the walls - all whilst raising money for a wonderful local charity Second Chance Charity.

Heather, Monty and Dan will be serving in the Café from 2pm on Saturday and 11am on Sunday! See you then 🤩

It's a busy day at Sun Pier House with over 40 pieces of artwork being delivered, hung and displayed for Second Chance C...
14/11/2024

It's a busy day at Sun Pier House with over 40 pieces of artwork being delivered, hung and displayed for Second Chance Charity's amazing art auction this weekend!

Pop in this weekend to view works from: Billy Childish, Zara Carpenter, Sam Collins, Jamie Reid, Jimmy Cauty, Not Banksy, Harry Adams, Carol Smith, Maggie Osborn, Kieron Poole, Sarah Crouch, Mick Hampshire, Rikard Osterlund, Heather Haythornthwaite, Sophie Young, Sam Hall, and more in our Gallery.

Grab a cup of tea or coffee and have a nosy at the building works (excuse the mess!)
The entrance way is on the ground floor, to the right hand side, and then up to the second floor.

Opening times:
Saturday 16th November : 2pm - 6pm
Sunday 17th November: 11am - 2pm

If you can't make it in person you can bid online NOW to help continue their important work for families facing food insecurity this Christmas https://fund2ndchancemedway.org/home/

This week’s Sun Pier House studio shoutout goes to resident Jake Wood.⁠Jake’s Artwork spans from performance, sculpture,...
06/11/2024

This week’s Sun Pier House studio shoutout goes to resident Jake Wood.

⁠Jake’s Artwork spans from performance, sculpture, installation, collage, and photography. Drawing on a culture that is concerned with debunking the ideas of fitness, work, and exercise. He explores this by integrating his own use of the gym and physicality into his performances using tongue-in-cheek humour and slapstick comical gestures.

He enjoys the unapologetic attitude and approach that performative work offers, turning up to a place with his homemade props, doing what he needs to do, and then exiting again. Wood considers his practice inherently intrusive, invading various kinds of spaces and environments.

Wood has recently been exploring the intersections between bodybuilding and q***rness, integrating this into his wider practice and seeking to make audiences aware of q***r spaces that exist.

To see more of Jake’s work follow him on Instagram at:

Image Credit: Jake Wood

Image Description: A collage created by Jake based around his recent performance at The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

Wondering what we're up to, what we do and what the building works are for? Check out this awesome film, made in March 2...
05/11/2024

Wondering what we're up to, what we do and what the building works are for?

Check out this awesome film, made in March 2024 when one of our partners visited us to catch up on the L!FT OFF project.

Even with our successful £750K fundraising campaign, we wouldn't survive the current major building works without a community loan from Social and Community Capital 🙏

https://youtu.be/4ss3uVngDUw

Sun Pier House CIC is a creative arts space and venue in North Kent, located in a former bank and commercial office block alongside the River Medway in Chath...

Sun Pier House is proud to support Second Chance Charity with their amazing art auction! Bid online NOW to help continue...
04/11/2024

Sun Pier House is proud to support Second Chance Charity with their amazing art auction! Bid online NOW to help continue their important work for families facing food insecurity this Christmas.

Over the weekend of 16-17 November, you will be able to view work by Billy Childish, Zara Carpenter, Sam Collins, Jamie Reid, Jimmy Cauty, Not Banksy, Harry Adams, Carol Smith, Maggie Osborn, Kieron Poole, Sarah Crouch, Mick Hampshire, Rikard Osterlund, Heather Haythornthwaite, Sophie Young, Sam Hall, and more in our Gallery and place closed bids ahead of the main auction of Sunday 17 November at 2.30pm.

To bid online click here: https://fund2ndchancemedway.org/home/

Image Description: Poster with information regarding the auction depicting an artist surrounded by canvas and easels.
Text reads:
Second Chance Medway’s Art Auction 16-17 NOVEMBER
•Raising money to support Medway Families facing food insecurity this Christmas.
•Opportunity to own art by Billy Childish, Sam Collins, Zara Carpenter and more.
•All items available to view at Sun Pier House
•Supported by Nucleus Arts, Spaghetti Weston, L-13, Sun Pier House and Local Authority News.
VIEWING: Saturday 16th November : 2pm - 6pm & Sunday 17th November: 11am - 2pm
LOCATION: Sun Pier House, Medway St, Chatham ME4 4HF
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO MAKE YOUR BID: fund2ndchancemedway.org

November is Medway River Lit month!A literary festival all across Medway, check out the event programme here - https://w...
02/11/2024

November is Medway River Lit month!

A literary festival all across Medway, check out the event programme here - https://www.medwayriverlit.co.uk/

Sadly, we couldn't take part this year with our building in flux, but take a look at their page to find an event in a venue near you - Medway River Lit



Image description: a close up photo of art books on a shelf

Address

Medway Street
Chatham
ME44HF

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We use our home in Chatham to inspire and engage

We’re a not- for- profit organisation connecting more people with the arts in Medway. We want to raise aspirations, increase empathy and support people to be creative.

We’ve transformed an empty 1980’s office block in Chatham town centre into artist studios, an exhibition gallery, events venue, cafe space, and workshop rooms. We run a diverse arts and events programme, and work in collaboration with artists and creative people who want to make the world better.

Run by a small team of passionate people, we’re a Community-Interest-Company re-investing in our community.

Our opening hours change based on the events and exhibitions we’re hosting - please check the events pages and our website calendar.