Pioneering Places

Pioneering Places is part of the national Great Place Scheme, an ambitious project that will make East Kent an even better place to live, work and visit by exploring heritage, developing civic pride and connecting artists and communities.

“Forgotten” heritage sites and cultural organisations recognised for role played in ‘Levelling Up’ local towns and cities Cultural regeneration projects at disused heritage sites across...

Although conceived years before the phrase became a central part of government policy, the achieved outcomes of Pioneering Places provide evidence of what Levelling Up might look like in practice, with the right focus, partners and ambition. With all four of the project locations based in local authorities identified as priority one areas in the Levelling Up Prospectus, and specific sites such as the Folkestone gasworks and Ramsgate’s East Cliff in the top 10% most deprived wards in the country, there is a clear need to find new, innovative and creative ways to address the issues of our left-behind towns and smaller cities. 

Partnerships with schools and young people were particularly significant in demonstrating the greatest impact. Across the four Pioneering Places projects and the wider advocacy...

Cultural and heritage-led placemaking Pioneering Places is the largest of the national Great Place Schemes, an ambitious project that will make East Kent an even...

New major artwork by renowned artist Conrad Shawcross commissioned by local school children launched in Ramsgate. As part of Pioneering Places East Kent - the...

Canterbury youth creating new histories through heritage Faced with some "fairly difficult choices" over what to do with the 13th century former Poor Priest's Hospital...

The Future of English Towns As 100 towns across the UK develop Investment Plans for the Government's Town Deals, Pioneering Places was invited to present...

Morag Myerscough's Triennial artwork echoes the gasometers which once stood on this site and draws on the shared cultural history, heritage and talents of...

Tips for supporting Young Arts and Heritage Leaders … and tips they received from Tate’s Senior Curator, Mark Godfrey, in commissioning public artworks.