We’re not going to let this be destroyed!
For the last hundred year the adult education center in Hawley Square, Margate, has hosted classes for Adult Education. The double blue plaque building, a prime example of Art Deco municipal architecture, was constructed at a time when we as a country, were recovering from the horrors of The Great War. The idea behind it was that men returning from the front, and women who needed to support themselves, could learn extra skills around their work day, to both improve their prospects and improve their minds and what we might call, enhance their well-being.
Part of that, in the basement, is a silversmithing studio, where hammers have rung out and heat has been used to forget metal and create beautiful objects, and that’s where I’ve been teaching adult learners for the last ten years.
But the council are closing us down. All of the adult Education classes which are in any way creative or about wellness,are being closed by the current council. The previous trimmed the service back and pushed a lot of tutors to resign, but those of us remaining thought they were keeping the courses like Silversmithing that made money, but then the new lot – they’re Reform, facts are facts – told us they were closing us all down hours after the new academic year started, just after our first tutor meeting. I suppose at least I hadn’t moved from the other end of the country to take a job, only to be told this six weeks later.
Well – this is my blog and I can say what I like really – but I also want to move on.
This situation presented me with a choice – walk away, or find a way to keep the workshop going in some way, so that the people of Margate and surrounding area can still access my teaching skills and the equipment of the workshop, not least because the only other option is to watch it all being thrown into a skip.
With the help of some of my learners, we’ve been looking at potential new sites and funding sources, and we’ve hopefully got a way forward with these guys – https://margatecreativelandtrust.org/ who are working on converting a huge site in Margate into creative spaces, and we hope to be part of it.
We’re being taken under the wing of these guys too – https://www.coastalcommunitylearning.com/ – so they can take the equipment from the workshop and use it, along with (hopefully) funding to buy new, for our new home. While we’re waiting for it be ready, I’ll be running low key Silversmithing and jewellery making classes at Costal Community’s Broadstairs center, using the equipment we can without risking their lovely art room.
As soon as I have more details, I’ll be uploading them here so, if you’re interested in classes or one day using our workshop and equipment as an associate memeber, please follow my blog, drop me and email and bookmark this page.
Never underestimate the power of a woman who has learned to use a hammer!