New events coming up in Thanet and East Kent

A sound installation church takeover, Kent's international family arts festival, a gig on a bowling green, and a gay ceilidh. Just some of the great events around Thanet and East Kent to add to your calendar.

A sound installation by music producer Phil Coy will be taking over St George’s Church in Ramsgate from May 2 to June 29. Called Sixty Beats Per Minute, it will use an array of microphones set up around the church’s pendulum clock to create an immersive sonic experience. Hear it live Friday to Sunday, 12pm-5pm and tune in to a live stream 24/7. The event will close with a performance by Coy and Adrian Sherwood. More info.

The Boing! International family arts festival returns to Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Arts Centre on August 23-24. As ever there’ll be a stunning array of performances, workshops and more, and entry remains free. The line-up is yet to be announced, so stay tuned to the festival’s website.

Join geologist Richard Hubbard for a walk along Kingsgate’s white cliffs this Tuesday, April 22, at 11am to explore the geology, history and secrets of the bay’s coastline. The two hour walk and talk organised by Thanet Coast Project will also mark this year’s Earth Day. Suggested donation £5.

Broadstairs Folk Week has launched a year-round programme of performances at the Horsebridge Arts Centre in Whitstable. Folk Week Presents takes place monthly, with some of the finest acts from across the folk genre. Next up is the award-winning Tim Edey on Sunday, May 11. Tim is originally from Broadstairs and is now the festival’s Patron. Tickets £17.50.

Tracey Emin’s TKE Studios in Margate opens its spring show on Saturday, April 26. The show will feature works from resident artists including Laura Footes, Lindsey Mendick, Layla Andrews and Emin herself. It will also unveil works created by TM Davy and Alina Zamanova as part of the first Victoria House Residency. The same day, TM Davy will also open his first solo exhibition at the nearby Carl Freedman Gallery. Full details.

Multi-instrumentalist Mara Simpson will be performing live at Ark in Cliftonville on Saturday, May 17. Combining electronic, acoustic and orchestral sounds, Mara will release her fourth album Living Matter on May 30. Support at the Ark show will come from Hughie Gavin. Tickets £10.

Right, here’s a test of how into nu metal you are. Did Limp Bizkit turning up at Dreamland last summer strike you as a little too obvious? Well, Drowning Pool and Spineshank are going to be playing a co-headline show there on Friday, November 21. And they’ll be supported by (hed) pe. Baffling. Actually, I saw Spineshank support Fear Factory in 1998 and they were pretty great. Tickets £31.25.

Where do all the cool kids hang out these days? That’s right, Folkestone Park Bowls Club. Well, possibly. All I know is that Folkestone band Yesterday's Flowers and Thanet’s own Diet Jesus will be playing a gig there on Saturday, May 24. “A gig at a bowls club. Zero bowls taking place,” stresses the poster. I repeat, zero bowls. Earlybird tickets £8.

Deep Fried Sausage - A Gayly Ceilidh is coming to Margate. Musician Venn Smyth’s queer take on the Scottish ceilidh has previously taken place at The Divine in Stoke Newington. Now it’s set to make its way to CAMP in Cliftonville on Friday, May 23. As well as music and dancing, there will be comedy, games and a quiz. Tickets £8.

The Margate School will officially launch its new Schwarzman Gallery with a retrospective of the work of its namesake, Arnold Schwarzman, on Saturday, May 3. The new gallery is being opened in honour of the designer, filmmaker and author, who is patron of the school.

Sandwich pop-up Sarns will be back in action twice in May. First up, you’ll find them at Bar Nothing in Cliftonville all day on Sunday, May 4 as part of the Hipsville A Go Go weekend. Then they’ll be back at Thao Thao in Margate Old Town on Saturday, May 17 from 12-4pm. Last time they were at Thao Thao they sold out of sandwiches, so don’t hang about.

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