Go Folkestone

Profound Sound 2024: PENUMBRA
2024-02-16 20:00 - 22:00 (Europe/London) | The Quarterhouse, CT20 1BN
Doors open at 7pm
ILĀMultifaceted artist and producer, ILĀ will be performing a solo electronic set fusing ethereal non-binary vocal timbre, dense sonic textures and quantum data sonification. Their work explores fluidity from personal identity through to socio-economic systems with a focus on physics, philosophy and emerging technologies. ILĀ’s set features music from their upcoming film MURMUR – a collaboration with Ai-Da (the first humanoid robot artist), Imogen Heap, Guy Sigsworth, Bishi and Portrait XO created using pioneering AI tools.
PENUMBRAPenumbra is an experimental performance created by vocalist Dali de Saint Paul, electronic composer and double bassist Maxwell Sterling, and visual artists Charlie Hope and Rebecca Salvadori. Emerging from a collaborative process during a series of shared sessions, it comprises improvised music and sound structured by a prepared score composed of video and lighting elements. Commissioned by Outlands, the project will take shape over a series of live shows in spring 2024.
Age Restrictions
18+ (14-17 accompanied by an adult)
Tickets
Standard £15
Book this event online or email the box office at boxoffice@creativefolkestone.org.uk

HAPPY BOX OF IMPS
2024-02-16 19:30 - 21:30 | The Tower Theatre, North Road Shorncliffe, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 3HL
EVENT DETAILS

Love “Whose Line Is It Anyway” and “Mock The Week”? Then this is a show for you!
Happy Box of Imps is an improv show featuring local talent, and if you joined us last time, this evening is guaranteed to be completely different. You never know what to expect, and neither do we!
The evening will include short-form scenes and silly games, which are completely unscripted and unplanned. Audience involvement is key – the ideas come from you! Bring along suggestions of scenes you’d like to see, situations, emotions, occupations and random lines you’d like us to include, and see if they make it into the show.
You can expect an interactive evening full of unpredictable dialogue, and lots of laughter!
May contain adult humour.
“I laughed so hard I lost my voice the next day!” ★★★★★
“My face still aches from the last one!” ★★★★★
“Brilliant night out!” ★★★★★
“Every show is different” ★★★★★
www.happyboxofimps.com
Tickets £8
Doors 6.30pm | Unreserved seating

SEAFOLK INTERACTIVE EVENT
2024-02-15 11:00 - 2024-02-18 17:30 | Folkestone Bookshop, Tontine Street, Folkestone, CT20 1JP
Interactive experience re importance of the sea to Folkestone seafolk collective
15th – 18th February 11.00a.m. – 5.30pm

MR SLEEPYBUM
2024-02-12 11:00 - 12:30 | The Tower Theatre, North Road Shorncliffe, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 3HL
EVENT DETAILS

Mr Sleepybum is back, after a sell-out shows in April & October 2023!
Do you have stupid and silly dreams at night? Well, Mr. Sleepybum does, and he’s going to re-enact them all for you in this high-energy, silly comedy show for the whole family.
Mr Sleepybum awakes in his bed to find a room full of parents and children. A circus of silly sketches and dream scenes ensues. From swimming with Sharks to solving the mystery of a stolen chocolate cake to being chased by a frog dressed as a snail, Mr Sleepybum’s imagination is limitless.
Mr Sleepybum is an award-nominated, one-man, physical/character comedy kids show written and performed by character comedian Jody Kamali. Mr Sleepybum was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 and received rave reviews from the press and audiences.
Nominee: Best Kids Show – Leicester Comedy Festival / UK Kids Comedy Festival 2023
Nominee: Best Family Show – Buxton Fringe 2023
★★★★
‘Kids are left screeching with glee while their parents are grinning at this circus of sheer silliness.’
THE LIST
★★★★
‘Kids are riotously entertained’
THREE WEEKS
★★★★
‘Kids erupted in bouts of laughter at the side-splitting dream scenes’
ONE4REVIEW
The show contains audience participation, music, sound effects and can get quite noisy from the excitement of children and therefore it may not be suitable for children who are neurodiverse.
Tickets £7 | Children £5 | Family ticket £22 (2 children & 2 adults )
Unreserved seating | Doors open 30 minutes before the show | Running time approx 45 minutes | Suitable for ages 3+

TIME
(Monday) 11:00 am

JOE GODDARD & DAMP DISCO PRESENT: FOR THE LOVE OF DISCO
2024-02-10 20:00 - 22:00 | The Quarterhouse, CT20 1BN
What better way to celebrate Valentine’s weekend than on the dance floor!
For their third Disco, Joe and DD will be embracing all things Love and Romance and giving you the perfect excuse to party, whether Single, Taken or Other. Join us at the Quarter House for 5hours of non-stop dancing as we celebrate Love in all it’s forms.
Damp Disco are big fans of Love, particular Queer Love, & cannot wait to create the most romantic, silly, kissing booth of an evening for the Folkestone LGBTQIA+ community and beyond! ! Come dressed in your finest Valentine’s Looks and take to the catwalk for the chance to win Best Dressed of the evening. As always costume is of course not compulsory, we just want to see you there!
Expect pop classics, queer joy and of course disco anthems!
One of the biggest Djs on the planet, Joe will be headlining once again, giving his now hometown Folkestone exactly what it needs – a Love injection straight in the ears!
More DJS and performers to be announced nearer the time. Secure your ticket for the Love of Disco!!!
Age Restrictions
18 Years + U/25 ID required
Tickets
£10 Early Bird
£15 General Admission
Book this event online or email the box office at boxoffice@creativefolkestone.org.uk
@dampdisoc @joehotchip

Melting Vinyl: Stornoway
2024-02-09 20:00 - 22:00 | The Quarterhouse, CT20 1BN
One of the UK’s best loved indie folk bands, Stornoway, are returning.
The new album follows the huge success of their debut gold-selling album ‘Beachcombers Windowsill’, released on 4AD, and hailed from the rooftops for its melodic magnificence and imaginative arrangements. It reached Top-15 in the UK Charts, leading to tours of Europe, Australia, America, numerous memorable festival appearances, and a sold-out show at London’s Somerset House. Then followed the acclaimed albums ‘Tales From Terra Firma’ (2013) “a triumphantly expansive album” The Guardian , and ‘Bonxie’ (2015) “Stornoway’s best work yet, which deserves the largest stage” The Guardian , with the band’s live career growing fast and continuing to sell out headline tours. Each of Stornoway’s albums has been championed by BBC 6Music and Radio 2 since their first UK tours.
The forthcoming record is Stornoway’s best and most effortless album of their career, firmly cementing the band’s vital position on the wild edges of the contemporary musical landscape. A briny pop album as textured, surprising and unique as the British countryside, with a fresh but unmistakable sound.
Self-produced by the band and mixed by Mercury Music Prize-winning Mike Lindsay (Hannah Peel, Laura Marling, Tunng), the new album features award-winning Chinese singer songwriter Yijia Tu, fellow bird man Fyfe Dangerfield, environmentalist Sam Lee, and a collaboration with acclaimed poet Paul Henry from the Black Mountains, the album closing with an elegy to a giant ash tree lost to ash dieback.
‘…your crown is broken and glitters in the frost, and you’re more than silence lost…’
Perhaps more connected to the natural world than any other British band, they have a very personal understanding of the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis facing us. Their new album was written by night in a wind-battered shed on a coastal hilltop -feel the outside world flood into your soul, as Stornoway breaks down the walls between you and the land that made you…
Stornoway’s fourth album ‘Dig The Mountain’ is out now on Cooking Vinyl
Formed in 2019, THE PEOPLE VERSUS borrow from a variety of genres and traditions. Their combined voices and instrumental lines swoop, circle and support the beguiling voice and personality of the lead singer Alice Edwards. Each song is taut with feeling and longing, with many inspired by Greek myth and tales from Shakespeare.
Age Restrictions
16 Years + to be accompanied by an adult
Tickets
£22 Standard
£10 All Concessions
£5 Under 21
£26 On the Door
Doors open 7pm
Book this event online or email the box office at boxoffice@creativefolkestone.org.uk
Doors Open: 7pm Show Start: 8pm
“Stornoway’s new record is a joy.” – The Sunday Times
“Great songwriting… reminiscent of Crosby, Stills & Nash.” – The Times
Stornoway

THE JIVE ACES KEEPING THE SHOW ON THE ROAD TOUR
2024-02-09 19:30 - 21:30 | The Tower Theatre, North Road Shorncliffe, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 3HL
EVENT DETAILS

Together for over 25 years, The Jive Aces have been keeping the show on the road for three decades and become renowned worldwide for their high-energy live show having toured in over 40 countries.
The band aim to spread smiles and cheer with their swingin’ music and classic vintage style from crooning smooth ballads to blasting honking rhythm & blues. Having played for Her Majesty the Queen, selling out the Royal Albert Hall, becoming the first band to reach the finals of Britain’s Got Talent or just entertaining at one of their 250 live shows a year, they continuously showcase why they are the UK’s No.1 Jive & Swing band!
With their trademark yellow suits and a repertoire that stretches from the timeless tunes of the swing era to the glitz of the Rat Pack with a dash of classic rock ’n’ roll, they perform songs in their unique upbeat style by such great artists as Louis Prima, Bobby Darin, Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis Jr. and Ella Fitzgerald as well as a selection of superb original tunes.
The Jive Aces have earned their reputation and won several important awards including the City Of Derry International Music Award, the Variety Club Of Great Britain Award for their contribution to music & charity work and several film festival awards for their high production value music videos.
They have worked with many celebrities such as Van Morrison, Chick Corea (who performs two songs on their “Recipe for Rhythm” album), Kenny Ball (appearing on their “King of the Swingers” album, Kenny’s last ever recording), John Travolta, The Proclaimers, The Undertones, Status Quo, Keely Smith, Jamie Cullum, Priscilla Presley and Kirstie Allie to name just a few.
When the Jive Aces released a music video for their upbeat version of a much-loved theme song in the UK, “Bring Me Sunshine” it immediately went viral and to date has over 3.7 million views on YouTube. It is so popular in fact that a Doctor in Seattle actually prescribed the video to his patients to cure “the blues”! Their version of the song has also been used in countless TV shows including thrice on “Strictly Come Dancing”.
At the start of the pandemic with all their shows having just been postponed, the band decided to do an online live-streaming show called the “JiveStream” to keep up spirits. Not knowing how long this would last, they promised to do it every day which ended up being 500 consecutive, daily shows and as a result made a host of new fans and friends all over the globe from the USA to India and from Australia to Ireland. This is where the idea for their new album and tour “Keeping The Show On The Road” originated because through thick and thin they fought hard to bring people the music despite huge barriers!
The band are now glad to be back on the road doing what they do best, delivering their high-energy vintage style entertainment to audiences of all ages!​​​​​​
Standard £23.50 | Concessions £21.50 (over 65s/under 18s)
Doors 6.30pm | Suitable 12+
https://jiveaces.org/

Royal Opera House Live: Manon
2024-02-07 19:00 - 21:30 | The Quarterhouse, CT20 1BN
This adaptation of Abbé Prévost’s novel embodies Kenneth MacMillan at his best, his acute insight into human psychology and his mastery of narrative choreography finding full expression in the impassioned duets of the central couple, visceral and urgent in their desire. The heroine’s struggle to escape poverty make Manon one of the most dramatic and devastating of ballets, emphasized by Nicholas Georgiadis’ evocative designs that reflect the juxtaposition between Manon’s impoverished origins and the lavish world she longs to inhabit. The 2023/24 Season celebrates the centenary of Nicholas Georgiadis.
Age Restrictions
No Age Restriction
Tickets
£14 Standard
£12 Concession
Book this event online or email the box office at boxoffice@creativefolkestone.org.uk

MIND THE GAP
2024-02-07 08:00 - 2024-03-02 17:00 | Folkestone Museum
A celebration of gay history especially on Romney Marsh. LGBT history month
Tuesday – Saturday 10.00a.m. – 4.00p.m.

Get Regular: Baba Ali & Vanity Fairy
2024-02-03 19:00 - 21:30 | The Quarterhouse, CT20 1BN
MumDad Records present Get Regular!
On a windswept and deserted ice planet, lights flicker in the abandoned discotheque as it opens its rusted doors for one last costumed cabaret of music, performance and visual delights. Join MUMDAD Records for an evening of intergalactic performances from:
Baba Ali
Fresh from their appearance on Later… With Jools Holland and a UK Headline tour, Baba Ali grace us with their blistering post-punk presence. Formed in 2019, New Jersey native Baba Ali and British producer & multi-instrumentalist Nik Balchin combine influences from classic New Wave, angular Dance-punk and throbbing synthpop to create a unique sound that can’t help but ooze swagger.
“Purveyors of the brilliantly unexpected. The duo marry disco and post-punk stylings in glorious harmony on their disorienting, ambitious second album.” NME – 4/5
“A trashed disco-ball of a record that is both the come-up and the come-down.” Loud and Quiet
“Refining their dance-punk hybrid on second album ‘Laugh Like A Bomb’, Baba Ali are concocting a late-night world worth staying up for.” DIY
FFO: LCD Soundsystem, PVA, Working Men’s Club
Vanity Fairy
Vanity Fairy is the creation of songwriter and vocalist Daisy Capri, a vehicle within which she can escape to a world where disco remains Queen. With live shows typified by elaborate, elegant costumes and a hypnotising stage presence, it’s no wonder she has found herself touring with such artists as Warmduscher, Katy J Pearson and Let’s Eat Grandma.
“Daisy possesses stage presence, charisma and awareness, in plentiful abundance.” Joyzine
“A post-disco bliss-scape that dwells on pop-edged electronics… Vanity Fairy’s bewitching world is one we’re longing to venture into.” Clash
“Her shimmering vocal falsetto spins a nostalgia-laden world that plays with kitsch-pop tropes and revels in the hedonistic indulgences of classic disco.” How The Light Gets In
FFO: Kate Bush. Georgio Moroder, Bat For Lashes
Pleistocene Megafauna
A duo of ambient voyagers invite you on a improvised journey peppered with analogue synthesizers, organic samples and digital soundscapes. Purveyors of music both serene and sweaty, Pleistocene Megafauna are the perfect way to kick off an evening of celestial electronic exploration.
FFO: Oneohtrix Point Never, Mort Garson, The Orb
DALAWax
Expect Motorik, Post-Punk, Electro, Italo-Disco and much more from the impeccable collection of Folkestone’s favourite selector DALAWax. Toe-tapping, head-bobbing beats to keep your feet moving and your soul soaring all night long.
FFO: Rare Grooves, Big Beats, New Wave Raves.
Costumes encouraged, good vibes essential. Respect those around you and party responsibly.
Age Restrictions
14+, under 16’s to be accompanied by an adult
Tickets
£10 Early Bird
£15 Standard
Book this event online or email the box office at boxoffice@creativefolkestone.org.uk
Social Media Handles: @mumdadrecords, @babaalimusic, @vanityfairydust, @pleistocenemegafauna, @dalawax (instagram)

Huey Morgan: NYC Block Party Fri 2 Feb, 8pm
2024-02-02 20:00 - 22:30 | The Quarterhouse, CT20 1BN
NYC Block Party Huey’s NYC Block Party is coming to a city near you now. The musical equivalent of the cosmic Big Bang, disco, hip hop and funk collided in an almighty collision in late 70s New York, with call and response choruses sat astride Get Down breaks and fast’n’furious hip hop mixing. It was a truly magical moment, and one that Huey captures perfectly with his funk-loving NYC Block Party.
The front man of Fun Lovin’ Criminals and a hugely respected BBC 6 Music DJ, Huey has perfected the sound over decades as an in-demand DJ and musician. Then again, as a music obsessive growing up in the Lower East Side of New York, he lived and breathed the sound and the fashion of the times, making him the perfect host for the NYC Block Party.
From Chic to Donna Summer and Kool and the Gang to James Brown via Grandmaster Flash and The Jackson 5 and more recent flavours like Jurassic 5, Cypress Hill and Michael Kiwanuka, Huey’s NYC Block Party is the sound of funk, soul, disco and hip hop jams battling it out on the dancefloor, a riotous celebration of the Good Times. As The Sugar Hill Gang might have said: ‘Huey will make you throw your hands up in the air like you just don’t care.’
Age Restrictions
18 Years + U/25 ID required
Tickets
£15 Early Bird
£22 Standard
Book this event online or email the box office at boxoffice@creativefolkestone.org.uk

PEACE IN A FRANTIC WORLD EXHIBITION
2024-02-01 10:00 - 19:00 | Cheriton Community Network, 378 Cheriton High Street, Folkestone, CT19 4DX
Join us Thursday 1st February from 10am-7pm the free Peace in a Frantic World Exhibition grand open day.

Discover all the exhibition has to offer. Peaceful spots in Folkestone, photos. “How I found peace”, peaceful recommendations. Short films to help you overcome troublesome thoughts, fears and anxieties. Poetry, recommendations, books, newspapers, quotes, discussions, relaxation and more…

Talk to exhibition hosts, enjoy some peace in this frantic world we live in.

With complimentary soup, snacks, drinks, and more.

Plus visit the Exhibition’s Wind Phone
A private phone booth to share your thoughts, grief, troubles and worries.

More information at https://peaceinafrantic.world

Tribute to Freddie Mercury and Queen
2024-01-27 20:30 - 22:00 | Dover Road Social Club, 93 Dover Road, Folkestone, CT20 1JZ
Jay Mercury in a live tribute act.
Non members £2

Quarterhouse Lates: Edmund Blackadder
2024-01-26 20:00 - 23:00 | The Quarterhouse, CT20 1BN
After running his popular Blackadder & Friends night in London and playing all around the capital, Edmund Blackadder brings his love of 60’s Rock ‘n’ Roll / Pop, 70’s Glam / Disco, 80’s New Wave / Synth Pop, and 90’s Indie / Britpop to Folkestone. Let him take you back and forth on this journey throughout the eras.
Requests welcomed (If in keeping with the mentioned genres).
Quarterhouse Lates is our new, regular Friday night of dancing and good times in The Clearing at Quarterhouse. Your weekly fix of good times and dancing until 1am.
This event is free entry and strictly 18+.

STRICTLY 80S VS SPEEDWAY 90S SILENT DISCO BATTLE
2024-01-26 19:00 - 21:00 | The Tower Theatre, North Road Shorncliffe, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 3HL
STRICTLY 80S VS SPEEDWAY 90S SILENT DISCO BATTLE
Get your dancing shoes on to brighten those January Blues and kick start the New Year !
Speedway Silent Disco are excited to bring you another thrilling disco battle on the dance floor in collaboration with our friends at The Tower Theatre in Folkestone.
Strictly 80’s DJ Phil Donnechie goes HEAD TO HEAD with the Speedway Team in a 1980’s VS 1990s battle in this Silent Disco Extravaganza with some classic old-school bangers and retro tunes.
Expect a veritable feast of tunes such as Queen, Abba, Blondie, Madness, Specials, David Bowie, Soft Cell, Madonna and some great 90s rave and dance tunes plus indie, Brit pop & grunge! the list goes on … so many bangers! Who will you be dancing to?
If this is your first silent disco – we can guarantee it won’t be your last – it’s an addictive experience that will keep you dancing all night as you keep switching channels between 80s & 90s.

Tickets £8 + £1 booking fee
Doors 7pm

NYE BANFIELD TRAILS AND TRACES
2024-01-25 19:30 - 22:00 | The Tower Theatre, North Road Shorncliffe, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 3HL
EVENT DETAILS

WORLD JAZZ LIVE SESSIONS AT THE TOWER – Hosted by Maiuko
Debut Album Launch ‘Trails and Traces’
Coming off the back of powerful performances at Love Supreme Festival, Pizza Express and The 606 to name a few; this quartet creates a gripping and intense experience that rips up the rule books and speaks from a combined beating heart.
NYE BANFIELD
Hailing from rural Leicestershire with Welsh roots, Nye is a profoundly creative saxophonist and composer bringing a fresh perspective to South East London. Through his music, Nye paints visceral scenes from his life and the people around him. A graduate of Trinity Laban, Nye combines influences from jazz icons Wayne Shorter, Ambrose Akinmusire, and mentor Mark Lockheart, as well as wider sources of inspiration from the pastoral works of Vaughan Williams to song writing of Damon Albarn.
Described by Headfirst Bristol as “a smart and original composer who knows both the roots of modern jazz and where he intends to take his own music”, Nye takes you on a vivid journey of richly textured composition and lyrical improvisation. Nye’s tenor sound, a focus of his over the last 10 years, is earthy, broad and incredibly expressive, providing a focal point to the band’s combined timbre.
THE BAND
For this performance, Nye will be at the helm of an impressively exciting quartet. Featuring a trio of ‘Moores’, the rhythm section holds all the tools to set the stage alight. Brothers Ewan and Robbie, on drums and piano lead their own project ‘Bigheadmode’, and play with a synchronicity that can only be achieved through shared genetics. Hamish Nockles-Moore completes the quartet, providing raw creativity and a barrage of energy from bass.
The quartet has toured the country receiving high praise from listeners, receiving quotes such as:
“My heart needed your music last night.. it was by far one of my favourite jazz club encounters to date”.
“The Nye Banfield sextet blew up a storm at Pizza Express.”
THE ALBUM – ‘Trails and Traces’
Dropping on vinyl in January 2024, this will be Nye’s debut LP. Featuring ‘Banger Factory’ leader Mark Kavuma on trumpet, the performances from the sextet are richly diverse in influences. An infusion of flavours from 60s Blue Note records, 90s Radiohead, 20th century classical music and contemporary New York Jazz combine to create an intensely gripping sound.
The musicians on the record breathe life into every corner of Nye’s compositions. The rhythm section features virtuosos Rupert Cox on piano, Hamish Nockles-Moore on double bass and Ewan Moore on drums. They have the dexterity to deliver subtlety and a sensitivity of space for the nostalgia of tracks ‘Four Years Later’ and ’E11’, whilst also having the grit to bring an onslaught of energy to ‘Bellarom Gold’ and ‘Rockhopper’. Mark Kavuma brings a touch of class to the palette, offering a few hard-bop style solos, a cool shift from the undeniably modernness of the group. The sextet is complemented by young talent Wilf Diamond on trombone who brings a warm soulfulness to the mix.
Away from the music, the product itself has been given a lot of thought and care. The sessions were engineered and mixed by twice Mercury Prize nominated Sonny Johns (Dinosaur, Portico Quartet), and subsequently mastered by World Circuit legend Tom Leader (Buena Vista Social Club, Kate Bush). The record was then cut at Abbey Road Studios and pressed by Optimal Media in Germany, altogether producing a record with real, tangible quality.
The cover features a piece by Sonia Stanyard. Green silk-screened paper is torn, spliced and reconfigured to explore how limitation can create freedom. Nye relates to her process, using form and structure combined with spontaneity to create expressive art.
Nye Banfield – tenor sax
Robbie Moore – piano
Hamish Nockles Moore – double bass
Ewan Moore – drums
https://www.nyebanfield.co.uk/
Doors open 6.30p.m. unreserved seating

National Theatre Live: Dear England Thu 25 Jan, 7pm
2024-01-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Quarterhouse, Mill Bay, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 1BN, United Kingdom
A new play by James Graham
directed by Rupert Goold
Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale) plays Gareth Southgate in James Graham’s
(Sherwood) gripping examination of nation and game.
The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why
can’t England’s men win at their own game?
With the worst track record for penalties in the world, Gareth Southgate knows he needs to
open his mind and face up to the years of hurt, to take the team and country back to the
promised land.
Filmed live on stage at the National Theatre, Rupert Goold (Judy) directs this spectacular
new play.
Tickets
£14
Book this event online or email the box office at boxoffice@creativefolkestone.org.uk

Folkestone Hula Hoop Class - Weekly Class 2024
2024-01-25 18:30 - 19:30 | Folkestone Glassworks, Block 67,, Folkestone,, CT20 1JG
Thursday, January 25

Come join us for a fun-filled weekly hula hoop class in Folkestone starting on January 25th, 2024 at 18:30 at Glassworks!

About this event

Folkestone Hula Hoop Class Taster Lesson!
18:30 to 19:30 Class Time: You will be led in a one hour lesson mixed with hula hoop tricks, fitness and dance.
19:30 to 20:30 Self Training: After class, there will be a whole hour where attendees will be able to freely train and refine skills. It’s an opportunity to train new things, meet others, and ask the instructor for more 1-2-1 help.
Come join us for our fun and energetic hula hoop class in Folkestone! Whether you’re a beginner or have been hooping for years, our in-person classes will help you improve your skills, get fit, and have a great time in the cold months of 2024!
From January 25th to March 28th 2024 we will begin regular weekly classes, so please spread the word!
Our experienced instructors will guide you through a variety of hula hoop techniques and tricks, helping you master the art of hooping in a supportive and friendly environment.
No need to bring your own hoop – we have plenty for you to use during the class. Just come wearing comfortable clothing and be ready to have a blast!
Important Information (please read before booking)

Please follow our Facebook page with important updates on classes! @Folkestonehulahoopers
Limited Spaces – recommend to book in advance.
Bundle Class Booking: After securing your place, the organiser will be in touch to see what dates you would like to attend, but remember buying this bundle does not guarantee you a spot to any class without confirming in advance.
Please Arrive 5 minutes prior / Late Attendees Accepted
All Genders Welcome / LGBTQIA+ Friendly Space
For Ages 17+
Hula Hoops Provided
Wheel Chair Accessible
Tickets are non refundable but transferable to someone else.

About the Instructor
Symoné is a Guinness World Recording Holding alternative circus and performance artist based in the U.K from Washington D.C. Her work is about exploring what circus is and could be. Her performance fuse her movement based skills, such as high heel roller skates with hula hoops, pole dance, and voguing, in skilled and high energy shows.
Since 2016, she has traveled internationally working in 10 different countries with memorable highlights such as rollerskating with Nile Rodgers, performing alongside Peaches, in the Caribbean at Machel Monday Trinidad’s largest concert, and performing on West End stages with Chris Cox and La Soiree
She has also performed wih ASOS, Jon Hopkins, Omi, Samsung, Kurt Geiger, and Paul Smith and had editorial features in Time Out, Instagram, QX Magazine, Diva and The Stage.
www.symoneperformingartist.com
Contact: symone.artist@gmail.com

By Symoné

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Royal Opera House Live: Rusalka
2024-01-24 18:30 - 20:30 | The Quarterhouse, CT20 1BN
Rusalka, a water spirit, lives with her family in the pure waters of the forest lake. When she falls in love with a Prince, she sacrifices her voice and leaves her home in the hope of finding true love in a new world – a world that does not love her back. Natalie Abrahami and Ann Yee create a poetic, contemporary new staging of Dvořák’s lyric fairy tale, revealing our uneasy relationship with the natural world and humanity’s attempts to own and tame it. Semyon Bychkov conducts an all-star cast featuring Asmik Grigorian (Jenůfa) in the title role.
Tickets
£14
£12
Book this event online or email the box office at boxoffice@creativefolkestone.org.uk

GRAND MANSIONS COLLECTIVE
2024-01-20 15:00 - 17:00 | The Grand
More information from The Green Room at the Grand

Winter with Ukraine
2024-01-20 11:00 - 15:00 | The Parish Church of St Mary and St Eanswythe, Church Street,, Folkestone, CT20 1SW
Everyone is invited to join the celebrations in this Ukrainian Fair. They will share their traditions with songs, dance and many types of Ukrainian sweets and cakes to share. All celebrating the Ukrainian winter holidays: Christmas, New year and Epiphany. There will also be a photo exhibition. Everyone is welcome and all donations will go toward the Organ appeal

Quarterhouse Lates: Mumdad Soundsystem
2024-01-19 20:00 - 23:00 | The Quarterhouse, CT20 1BN
The wheels of steel. The platters that matter. Join MUMDAD Records’ head honchos for a night of crowd-pleasers and brain teasers. A mashup of 2000s indie, electro and throwback rock. The perfect party to follow punk rock legends Buzzcocks!
dance-a-long funk, pop, electronica and all round festival vibes!
For more information click here.
Quarterhouse Lates is our new, regular Friday night of dancing and good times in The Clearing at Quarterhouse. Your weekly fix of good times and dancing until 1am.
This event is free entry and strictly 18+.

SPECIAL CONCERT: BRITTEN CEREMONY OF CAROLS
2023-12-23 15:00 - 17:00 | The Grand
Bayle Cantata with Alex Rider (harp)

BONAFIDE TROMBONE QUARTET
2023-12-16 | The Grand
“BONE-AFIDE is a chamber ensemble made up of some of the UK’s leading young trombonists, who all currently study in London at the Royal Academy of Music. The group performs works from all genres and periods, whilst readily commissioning new works with the aim to re-create the Trombone Quartet repertoire. In 2020, the Quartet became joint winners of the International Trombone Association Quartet Competition, as well as becoming recipients of the prestigious Tunnell Trust Award. After a successful audition in May this year, BONE-AFIDE are thrilled to have won the Royal Philharmonic Society Philip Jones Prize. The members of BONE-AFIDE are Chris Brewster, Angus Butt, Isobel Daws, and Merin Rhyd.”
More details from The Green Room at the Grand

Vision - Folkestone The imagined testimony of the extraordinary medieval abbess Hildegard of Bingen alongside her haunting chant.
2023-11-25 19:00 - 21:00 | The Parish Church of St Mary and St Eanswythe, Church Street,, Folkestone, CT20 1SW
About the event

“[The singers] are mesmerising in the music. An austerely beautiful piece about a woman whose faith gave her extraordinary strength and courage”
The Guardian
A concertplay (where music and theatre collide) written by Clare Norburn and directed by BAFTA-nominated Nicholas Renton.
Vision explores the extraordinary life of the visionary medieval abbess Hildegard of Bingen, providing an insight into the painful and visceral visionary experiences Hildegard suffered throughout her life. It is “an imagined testimony” as Hildegard, played by actor Teresa Banham (subject to availability), revisits and re-experiences meaningful memories alongside her haunting and distinctive chant, with full staging and stunning lighting.
Plus, from 7pm, Folkestone History Society will give a 30-minute talk on St Eanswythe, an Anglo-Saxon princess, who is said to have founded Folkestone Priory, one of the first Christian monastic communities for women in Britain.
The performance will start at 7.45pm and last approx. 1 hour with no interval.
Line Up
Teresa Banham, actor as Hildegard (subject to availability)
Clare Norburn, singer
Clemmie Franks, singer
Jean Kelly, harp
Supported by a grant from Angel Early Music.
Including pre-concert talk from Folkestone History Society 7pm-7.30pm

GRAND MANSIONS COLLECTIVE
2023-11-18 15:00 - 17:00 | The Grand
Grand Mansions Collective, Marianne Kelly Piano

The Green Room at the Grand (Entry via Metropole Road East), Folkestone, CT20 2LR

Kim-Joy: Bake Me Happy
2023-11-17 19:00 - 21:00 | The Quarterhouse, CT20 1BN
Kim-Joy loves magical bonkers things, delighting Great British Bake Off fans with her cute animal bakes, joyful personality and quirky dress sense.

Following cookbooks and a Guardian baking column, Kim-Joy’s first graphic novel, Turtle Bread, follows the story of Yan, a socially anxious young woman, who joins a baking club and slowly comes out of her shell. Illustrated by Alti Firmansyah, it references her background as a mental-health practitioner, as well as her own social anxiety, while featuring recipes for such treats as ‘pigfiteroles’ and – of course – turtle bread.
Kim-Joy will discuss writing, baking and mental health with graphic novelist and cartoon historian Nicola Streeten, author of Billy, Me & You: A Memoir of Grief and Recovery, and The Inking Woman: 250 years of Women Cartoon and Comic Artists in Britain.
Click here for more information about Kim-Joy and all of her magical bakes.
Don’t miss the Creative Quarter Christmas Light Switch On at 5.30pm outside Objectables on the Old High Street. KimJoy will be doing this year’s big festive light switch on.
Age Restrictions

No Age Restriction
Tickets
£12 Standard
£8 Concession
£5 Cost of Living
PLEASE NOTE: Concessionary rates apply to under 21s, full time students, registered unemployed and registered disabled – just show us proof of status.

FOLKESTONE BOOK FESTIVAL
2023-11-17 | The Quarterhouse, CT20 1BN
Enjoy all of this year’s Book Festival talks and events with your Book Festival Pass.
Book your festival pass now and enjoy the whole festival this November.
Please note, for your festival pass to work, you must complete the purchase of the pass before booking events. Once the pass is applied to your account all individual Book Festival bookings will be included in your pass.
If you have any questions please contact the Box Office team boxoffice@creativefolkestone.org.uk
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Folkestone Book Festival is our annual celebration of books, ideas, reading and writing in its many magical forms. This year’s festival has been curated by Jen Thatcher and James Harkin. Curating the festival for the first time, Jen and James have been inspired by Folkestone and how we can all come together through inspired discussion about global ideas, global thinking and possible futures.
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This year’s festival is for everyone and we want to make it possible for more people than ever before to be able to come together and enjoy a packed festival. To make this possible we have introduced a £5 ticket. This is a no questions asked ticket for those that may be struggling to afford events and performances.

Folkestone Symphony’s Autumn Concert
2023-11-11 19:30 - 21:30 | Holy Trinity Church, Sandagte Road, Folkestone, CT20 2HQ
Yes! the outstanding Korean born violinist Joo Yeon Sir, who played the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with us in the Leas Cliff Hall in July last year, is returning to perform with us yet again! We have no doubt whatsoever, that she will have you spellbound in her performance of Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy.
The programme of music for this concert will be:
· Smetana Vltava (The Moldau)
· Bruch Scottish Fantasy Op.46 Soloist: Joo Yeon Sir
· Sibelius Symphony No.5 Op.82

As usual, full comprehensive programme notes on each piece will be given in our concert programme, so do make sure that you purchase one on arrival …….
Whilst we understand that parking in the vicinity of Holy Trinity Church can be difficult, I’m pleased to say that we have again organised a special arrangement with Folkestone & Hythe District Council for the Leas Cliff Hall car park (entrance in Sandgate Road) to remain open on all our concert evenings this Season, until 11pm. This is an extension to the normal closure time of 9pm (unless there is a show on in the LCH). It’s only a 7 minute walk from there to the Church – and what’s more, parking is free after 6pm!!

You can obtain your Tickets for this concert at:
· Online via the Folkestone Symphony website: www.folkestonesymphony.org/shop/tickets
· Pilgrims Hospice Charity Shops: 49-51 Sandgate Road, Folkestone and 61 High Street, Hythe (cash only)
· Or on the door at the Church on the night (with cash or card payments)

Walking with Ghosts
2023-11-11 16:00 - 2023-11-12 22:00 | Folkestone Harbour Arm, Folkestone, CT20 1QQ
Walking with Ghosts immersive art experience at the harbour station. This is likely to take place on each day between 4pm and 10pm, to be confirmed.
This is an initiative driven by Professor Helen Brooks of the University of Kent, Canterbury with interest and some funding from the Imperial War Museum. The Folkestone Harbour Company (FHC) is also keen to engage, as are the other amenity groups in the town.
