You can reach the World from Dover 23 took place in Dover over the summer of 2023 running from June through to October. The festival was the first of its kind in the town. It included new artworks together with a programme of exhibitions, workshops, talks, walks, performances and screenings all drawing on the vibrant artistic and creative activity of the town. Dover is a town of international and historic significance. It is a place of arrival and departure, an industrial port perched on the edge of the Kent Downs and looking out to the rest of the world.
You can reach the World from Dover 23 celebrated Dover’s contemporary life as well as its rich history. It was curated by Dover Arts Development (DAD), an artist-led collective embedded in the town’s creative community.
The festival included new artworks by Samara Scott, Richard Bundy and Anna Phoebe, Charles Holland Architects and Simon Bill and two exhibitions by Joanna Jones and Sophie von Hellermann, both curated by Nicolas Deshayes. The festival also included a series of curated walks and afternoon film screenings, a fashion show, public murals, artistic happenings and musical performances all exploring the town and its surrounding landscapes.
You can reach the World from Dover 2023 took place in sites and spaces including the Dover harbour, Dover Museum, the Market Square, the Citadel and Fort Burgoyne historic forts, the River Dour and the North Downs Way National Trail as well as parks, green spaces and wild places.
You can reach the World from Dover 23 was funded by Arts Council England (£88,665), Kent Downs AONB (£6,000) and the North Downs Way National Trail (£4,000) and supported by Kent County Council, Dover District Council, Port of Dover, the Land Trust, and The University of the Creative Arts school of Architecture and Design. Other partners included key local organisations Future Foundry, Dover smART, White Cliffs Countryside Partnership, East Kent College Dover, Tower Hamlets Scout Club, Samphire Trust, Dover Community Radio, St. Edmund of Abingdon Memorial Trust, Dover Creative Network, Riverside Day Centre, Vinoteq, Momo Hub, Royal Cinq Ports Yacht Club, La Salle Verte, Elephant and Hinds, Arc Electicals, Macavis Building Supplies, Owenbeg Construction and Equip Scaffolding.
Click on the shapes below to explore the wealth of work that made up the festival.
