Local Artists Take Over Empty Shop

As a collective of ten local artists, we took over an empty premises—No 9, The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells—for two weeks in December 2010 to exhibit our work.

This was an exciting project: taking the then empty property—formerly the R.A.Ashby butcher's shop—and transforming it into a contemporary, bright and exciting gallery space with the aim of contributing to visitors' enjoyment of the area's pedestrian walkways.

The artists involved

• Louisa Crispin
• Sandy Farrell
• Ciara Healy
• Charlotte Lane
• Claire Palastanga
• Erika Richmond
• Julie Taylor
• Will Taylor
• Letitia Tunstall
• Clare Winchester

"People are increasingly worried about boarded-up shops and vacant land in their towns and cities. It is vital that we do all we can to enable vacant properties to be used for temporary purposes until demand for retail premises starts to improve. Not only will this help to ensure that our towns and high streets are attractive places where people want to go, it can also stimulate a wide range of other uses such as community hubs, arts and cultural venues, and informal learning centres, which can unlock people's talent and creativity."

Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG)