The cultural destination It’s time to head to the Kent coast, as the Carl Freedman Gallery moves to the artistic hub that is Margate

Swapping Shoreditch for the seaside, this iconic arts space has found fresh inspiration

Margate’s evolution from tired seaside bolthole to lively home of the arts is freshly buoyed by its latest cultural landmark: the newly relocated Carl Freedman Gallery, which opened in Shoreditch in 2003. ‘Margate is going through an amazing transformation, led by a growing art community,’ explains Freedman, the gallery’s founder. ‘The new home is a fantastic opportunity for us to present larger-scale solo exhibitions by our artists as well as more expansive curated shows.’

Set back from the bustle of the seafront, behind the Old Town, the cavernous gallery – part of what was once the headquarters of Thanet Press – houses three exhibition spaces, an apartment and a huge, 929-square-metre upper floor dedicated to Freedman’s printing business, Counter Editions. Offering high ceilings and copious space uninterrupted by columns, the former commercial site looks set to be a coveted address for creatives, with Tracey Emin’s new studio currently under construction next door. The Carl Freedman Gallery’s inaugural exhibition, ‘Man in the mouth of a cave’ (until 25 August), is a solo show celebrating expressive new works from painter, poet and fixture of the Kent arts scene Billy Childish. It’s a wonderfully local start for a venue that promises to celebrate the very best of contemporary British and international talent (carlfreedman.com).

‘MARGATE IS GOING THROUGH AN AMAZING TRANSFORMATION, LED BY A GROWING ART COMMUNITY’