Tag Archives: UCA Rochester

‘CHATHAM – KENT – ENGLAND’ –

A brilliant time-lapse film celebrating the Chatham Placemaking Project, by the Filmmaker Simon Williams was premiered on the Waterfront Big Screen in Chatham on Friday evening 6th May – and then ran at hourly intervals through Saturday 7th May –

‘A series of films will focus the eye and the heart and have clearly distilled a vision for the project – a reductive process of stripping back and looking afresh. Simon refreshingly admits he has fallen in love with Chatham – he has lived here for 15 years. ‘Chatham, Kent, England’ is a remarkable 12-hour time-lapse work beautifully filmed from the roof of UCA at Fort Pitt. Standing in front of the Big Screen, the River Medway can’t actually be seen . The disengagement is clear. The film powerfully makes the case for Chatham to celebrate and acknowledge this enduring and symbiotic relationship. It could be an elegy for a Chatham we have forgotten but which is actually still alive and well and all around us’. Project Lead Artist Chris Tipping –

‘Chatham, Kent, England’is the first in a series of films being delivered as part of the Temporary Art Programme supporting the Chatham Placemaking Project.  They were commissioned by FrancisKnight Art Consultants and myself as project lead artist. ‘These are our Streets’, a collaboration between Simon and Rob Young, Writer, will be the second film in the series to be released.

Simon Williams on the roof of UCA Rochester at Fort Pitt. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Simon Williams.
Simon Williams on the roof of UCA Rochester at Fort Pitt. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: Simon Williams.
Simon Williams by the Waterfront Big Screen - showing 'Chatham, Kent, England'. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: By Permission of Simon Williams.
Simon Williams by the Waterfront Big Screen – showing ‘Chatham, Kent, England’. Chatham Placemaking Project. Image: By Permission of Simon Williams.

Temporary Artist Commissions –

The Chatham Placemaking Project appointed 3 artists for the temporary programme – it feels anything but temporary to me as all the artists are contributing massively to the project and their individual and collective output in terms of film, writing and graphics has been creative, original and has added to my perception and understanding of this project – of Chatham –  and how we relate to this community as well as our client Medway Council. It is an exciting time for me – & hopefully for Rob, Xtina and Simon too.

Simon and Rob have already engaged independently with the local community – calling in at shops and offices along our route down Railway Street and Military Road, building relationships with people. They have further collaborated on a series of short films, which explore and create a vision which underpins our project – the first of which we are hopeful will be given it’s Chatham premiere via the Big Screen this evening. Xtina is delivering the first of her print workshops on Saturday at The Pentagon Shopping Centre, which will encourage the local community to take part in simple printing techniques to explore themes around our project in words and motifs. Rob & I will be there too – collecting stories from people and hearing about their association with the town. Check out the Facebook page for more information on this event –

Xtina Lamb runs Medway Fine Printmakers from this building at  Chatham Intra on Chatham High Street. Image: Christopher Tipping
Xtina Lamb runs Medway Fine Printmakers from this building at Chatham Intra on Chatham High Street. Image: Christopher Tipping

Xtina Lamb was commissioned to run a series of print based workshops in ad hoc places – such as the Pentagon Shopping Centre – and also from her workshop and business premises – Medway Fine Printmakers –  at Intra on Chatham High Street. She is also a graphic artist in her own right contributing to the visual language and interpretation of the project.

Xtina Lamb in her studio at Chatham Intra, Chatham. Image: Christopher Tipping - by kind permission of Xtina Lamb
Xtina Lamb in her studio at Chatham Intra, Chatham. Image: Christopher Tipping – by kind permission of Xtina Lamb
Xtina Lamb's studio at Chatham Intra, Chatham. Image: Christopher Tipping - by kind permission of Xtina Lamb
Xtina Lamb’s studio at Chatham Intra, Chatham. Image: Christopher Tipping – by kind permission of Xtina Lamb
Costume Hire Shop - Chatham High Street, Kent. Image: Christopher Tipping
Costume Hire Shop – Chatham High Street, Kent. Image: Christopher Tipping
Costume Hire Shop - Chatham High Street, Kent. Image: Christopher Tipping
Costume Hire Shop – Chatham High Street, Kent. Image: Christopher Tipping