THE FOLKESTONE TRIENNIAL
As the name implies, a triennial takes place every three years – and Folkestone is about to celebrate its sixth such event in 2025. From Saturday July 19 to Sunday October 19 2025 public spaces across Folkestone will be the home to ambitious new art commissioned from leading UK and international artists.
The Folkestone Triennial is one of the very few international events to focus almost exclusively on art made for beyond a formal gallery setting and has put the seaside town on the world art map – and is about to do it again!
THE ORIGINS OF HUMAN SETTLEMENT
Directed for the first time by Sorcha Carey, Triennial 2025 will dig deep into the geology and geography of Folkestone, excavating the bedrock and bonebeds which have shaped the origins of human settlement in the town, taking visitors on a journey into Folkestone’s deep past.
The name Folkestone is believed to refer to ‘Folca’s stone’, a stone which acted as a meeting point in the landscape for the wider community. The name Folkestone (Folcastan) is attested as early as the 7th century AD, though the origins of human settlement on this spot date back to as early as 4000 BCE, when Stone Age people first began to settle and cultivate crops and animals.
Previous editions of Folkestone Triennial have focused on the history and geography of the town in its heyday, from the early Victorian period through to the first and second world wars and more modern contemporary history. This edition, yet to be named, will look even further into the past.
FROM EDINBURGH TO FOLKESTONE
Sorcha Carey, who was previously the director of Edinburgh Art Festival and is now the Director of Collective explains:
“In digging into the soil, I’m interested to think about how some of Folkestone’s deep histories can offer a space to reflect on contemporary concerns: from migration to the climate crisis, from how we form communities to our relationship to landscape. To think of the deep past depends on a leap of the imagination.
The triennial invites artists to respond to the place and context of Folkestone, to reflect on human connections to and with the land, and out of the deep past to imagine new futures.”
OF ART AND ARTISTS
Previous contributors to Folkestone Triennial have included Antony Gormley, Richard Woods, Tracey Emin and Sarah Staton, whose work can all still be found around the town, with many of them becoming landmarks beloved by visitors and residents alike.
Spring 2025 will see the full list of artists for announced, featuring established and emerging artists from across the UK and internationally. Each artist will respond to Folkestone in terms of its landscape and history, to create new work that will inspire possible futures for the town.
PRACTICALITIES
For more information about Folkestone Triennial itself and to keep updated on plans and progress, visit Folkestone Triennial – Creative Folkestone
For accommodation info see our Places To Stay page.
