Kettering town centre streets to become open air pop-up studios for artists

Kettering' s architecture, people and heritage will be celebrated when artists take to the streets with a series of pop-up creative events over four days.

Over the first two weekends in September, 15 local artists will be creating their own views of the High Street and Kettering town centre thanks to support from Historic England and North Northamptonshire Council.

Produced by Made With Many - a community-led arts programme - 'Views of the High Street' will see artists working in a range of mediums, including watercolours, ceramics and graffiti art, creating new works of art in real time to celebrate the architecture, people and heritage of the town centre.

Artists will be available to chat with visitors to the town centre, explain their work and offer tips to budding artists.

Helen Willmott, programme director for Made With Many, said: “Views of the High Street is a brilliant opportunity to see artists at work, alongside highlighting the extraordinary heritage of Kettering town centre. We have a fantastic range of excellent local artists creating work over the two weekends and the chance for anyone to come along and create your own work of art.”

Visitors to the town centre will also have the opportunity to have a go at creating their own art works, with free creative packs available with everything you need to make your own picture of the town centre and pop-up artist-led workshops on each day.

The resulting work from both local artists and town centre visitors will be displayed in a special exhibition in the town later this year.

Views of the High Street will take place in Kettering town centre between 10am and 4pm on September 4, 5, 11 and 12.

The event has been commissioned by the Kettering Cultural Consortium and North Northamptonshire Council as part of the High Street Heritage Action Zone initiative funded by Historic England.

The £7.4m cultural programme is part of the £95m High Streets Heritage Action Zone initiative, which is currently working across over 60 English high streets.

Kettering Cultural Consortium are a group of local organisations who are delivering on the cultural programme in partnership with North Northants Council. Members of the consortium are Friends of Kettering Art Gallery and Museum, Kettering Civic Society, Picture the Difference and Wicksteed Park, and associates; Friends of Kettering Library, Kettering and District Art Society and Northamptonshire Heritage Forum.

‘View of the High Street’ starts on Saturday, September 4 with Catherine Staveley, Jack Watto, Janette Gaggini and Rosie Jarvis working in Gold Street, near Jamie’s Butchers. on Sunday, September 5, Daniel Kelly, Max Champion, Catherine Matthews and Stella Benford will be in the Market Place.

The following weekend Jack Watto, Krzysztof Janeczko, Louise Crookenden-Johnson and Sue Taylor will be in the High Street near B&M on Saturday, September 11, and on Sunday, September 12, Mia Middleton, Michelle Milroy, Sharon Stirling and Jacob Mawby will be in the Market Place.