Creative Medway

From its cathedral and castle to the historic dockyard, Medway's cultural heritage appears rooted in the distant past. But over the last 30 years an inspirational band of locally based artists and performers have embraced a DIY ethic, establishing new cultural roots that will reach far into the future.

Fuse Medway Festival is about supporting and promoting Medway's creative talent, as well as bringing in some of the best acts outside of the area. As part of this, a number of Local Arts Partners, who have played a vital role in this year's festival, are already in place:

Play on Words (http://www.playonwordstheatre.com) - youth theatre producing performance pieces for the street arts days in Chatham and Gillingham.

Loop Dance Company (http://www.loopdancecompany.co.uk) - producing a performance for the Outdoor Dance Day in Rochester.

Urban Fox (http://www.urbanfoxpress.co.uk) - a Medway-based community arts organisation that will host a live literature event at The Riverside Tavern in Strood.

The New Art Centre (http://www.thenac.co.uk) - hosting the Museum of Tales (www.museumoftales.com) exhibition.

University of Kent at Medway (http://www.kent.ac.uk/sdfva/creativeevents) –students from the Creative Events: Design and Production course will provide performances and installations at a number of festival events and also help with stewarding.

Sunlight Centre (http://www.sunlighttrust.org.uk) - hosting a band night and young people from the centre will work alongside a filmmaker to create a diary room experience at all FUSE events, capture audience feedback.

We have also started a list of links to Medway based artists and performers. It is by no means complete. So if you know of a community, group or individual whose website needs adding to this list, let us know (link to arts.marketing@medway.gov.uk) .

Wendy Daws ( http://www.wendydaws.co.uk )
Mark Barnes ( http://www.markbarnesillustration.com )

Lupen Crook - http://www.myspace.com/lupencrook
Kid Harpoon - http://www.myspace.com/kidharpoon
Brigadier Ambrose - http://www.myspace.com/brigadierambrose
The Black Eagles - http://theblackeagles.com/home.htm