Exhibition – Installation and 3 films by Beton Collective exploring the ideas of oneness, interconnectness, identity and dialogue. All works by Beton Collective with a video directed and produced by Tamer Akhil. The audience can just turn up between 12PM-8PM Wednesday-Monday. The work shown is not for sale.

Community Canvas – The Canvas placed in an accessible location at the Payers’ Park which encourages passer-byes to put a mark on it with brushes and paints provided. There are no invigilators during the process. The canvas is left for anyone to use. The happening is documented by Beton Collective. The public can just turn up and participate. The canvas is left to use throughout the festival.

Salon D’Art – a 4-hour event during which the participants are paired with the intention of creating something together. The 2-hour session is followed by a discussion over dinner. Salon D’Art is limited in number of participants. Participants need to pre-book the event. Artists and creatives are encouraged to discuss and promote their own work.

Book your spot here

Beton (Croatian, Polish) means concrete as in the building material. Beton is strong, resistant, and durable. It combines all four elements: water, air, fire, and earth. Beton Collective draws from these qualities in their approach to both artistic and curatorial work. Soon after their meeting in 2022, Katie and Joseph opened a gallery in their home in Hawkinge which enabled them to explore the ideas of changing personal geographies, impermanence, and belonging. They work across mediums including photography and film, installation and text. In 2023 they held Beton Beton exhibition at The Brewery Tap. They curated Mark Millsted's retrospective at Folkestone Art Gallery (2023) and Dreamscapes (2024) - a show bringing together 14 different artists and collectives. Their shared love of placing art outside the borders of a traditional gallery space led them right to the doors of The Grand - a legendary heritage space which they've turned it into a vivid art centre with a high-quality, diverse programme of events including film screenings, expert talks, music, and exhibitions. In June 2024, they took on kollectiv– where they’re expanding their programme of events to include more exhibitions, experimental music, and events involving artists from Folkestone and beyond. Their work investigates the topics of immigration, belonging, language and identity, love, loss, body, and desire.

Visit the Beton Collective website here
@betoncollective
@kollectivfolkestone