An artist collective and the Victorian factory transformed:
A few years ago a group of South East Kent artists transformed a disused Victorian Dover factory into their creative studio workspaces. Dover based DAD (Dover Arts Development) artist Clare Smith discovered the vacant industrial unit and saw its potential as a much needed creative space within the town. Few traces remain of its previous industrial heritage dating back to 1900, except for an ancient wooden bench running the whole length of the ground floor studios. Spread across two floors, the spacious old building, which once manufactured, repaired and hired large marquee tents, now accommodates artists in light filled open plan workspaces.
Artists at the Dover studios work with a variety of media and techniques, but some use print in multiple forms as part of their professional practice. These range from traditional lino-cut relief printmaking techniques, through collotype to fluid mono-print experiments, and also chemically reactive/resistive processes.
The Dover Studio artists are proud to join with artists nearby in France and Europe-wide to celebrate together this ninth Fête de l’estampe annual series of printmaking events. Against the backdrop of an era of political divisions, pan-European collaborations across borders are of value and more important than ever; with this being our fourth consecutive year participating
Dover Studio Collective 