Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
‘Fortune tellers’ put city’s secrets at tourists’ fingertips
Many will remember them from their school days, but now the paper fortune teller is back – for a rather different purpose.
Tourism bosses are using giant origami versions of the popular game to guide people around the city to uncover the hidden stories and secret gems within its walls.
Eagle-eyed visitors will be able to find the fortune tellers dotted around Canterbury in cafes, shops and restaurants and open them up to reveal unique personalities, all linked to specially chosen locations.
Users then follow the web link displayed, which will lead to instructions on how to get to a secret spot in the heart of the city. The special fortune tellers have been created by Canterbury Culture, a tourism project funded by The Arts Council.
Beth Cuenco, one of the partners of Canterbury Culture, says it wanted to create a fun and innovative way of guiding visitors around the city to enable them to live like a local, experiencing the best of music, comedy, poetry, art, exhibitions and performances during their stay.
She said: “Canterbury is brim- ming with incredible stories, stunning sights and hidden nooks that are just begging to be explored.
“From world-class theatre to medieval pageants, from dances and film screenings to hop pocket races, and food festivals to poetry slams, our historic city has cultural offer that has to be experienced to be believed.”
Tourists can find the fortune tellers at Boho Cafe, Club Burrito, The Beaney, Waterstones and The Chocolate Cafe, with some extra large versions at The Mar- lowe Theatre and The Canterbury Tales.
Visit Kent marketing director Jennifer Yard says the storytellers are a fantastic way of sharing the city’s stories with visitors.
She said: “We have some incredible cultural attractions and experiences to shout about.”
Anyone who ventures out to their hidden location and takes a picture could be in with a chance of winning a selection of prizes.
Simply upload the photo with #Secretcanterbury to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.