Estuary 2021 is the second edition of the large-scale arts festival that celebrates the lives, landscapes and histories of the spectacular Thames Estuary.
The festival takes place on the river itself, and along the 107 miles of south Essex and north Kent coastline. Contemporary artworks, discussion and events explore and respond to powerful themes resonant to the estuary.
Artworks are set in the landscape, online and within COVID-safe venues.
They explore the estuary through the lens of contemporary concerns, including:
- climate justice
- protest and rebellion
- imperial legacy
- the rich, often overlooked stories of its diverse communities
They aim to bring new audiences to a deeper understanding of the estuary.
Estuary 2021 is led by a partnership between estuary-based arts organisations, Metal (south Essex) and Cement Fields (north Kent).
The festival runs from Saturday 22 May to Sunday 13 June 2021.
Festival events
- Medway Estuary Haiflu - Tuesday 27 April to Sunday 13 June 2021
- Ebb and Flow Festival by Sun Pier House and Intra Arts - Friday 21 May to Sunday 23 May 2021
- Thames Estuary Trail by Tom King and Maria Amidu - Saturday 22 May to Sunday 23 May 2021
- An Unknown Earth by Jas Dhillion, Elsa James, James Marriott, Lu Williams - Saturday 22 May to Sunday 23 May 2021
- No Ordinary Protest by Mikhail Karikis - Saturday 22 May to Sunday 13 June 2021
- Our Time by Marcus Coates - Saturday 22 May to Sunday 13 June 2021
- In the Mouth of the River: Water, Empire and Rebellion by Dzifa Benson - Saturday 22 May to Sunday 13 June 2021
- Draw Hope by Bob and Roberta Smith - Saturday 22 May to Sunday 13 June 2021
- Grain by Phil Coy - Saturday 22 May to Sunday 13 June 2021
- The Strand 125 - Saturday 22nd May to Sunday 27 June 2021
- A Hoo Catalog - Saturday 22 May to Sunday 13 June 2021
- Landscape and Wildlife Photography Workshop, Hoo Marshes - Saturday 22 May to Thursday 3 June 2021
- HOME - Saturday 22 May to Sunday 13 June 2021
- Riverside Soundings Sound Walk - Saturday 22 May to Sunday 13 June 2021
- A Fleeting Field Station near Cliffe - Sunday 23 May 2021
- Decoy - Monday 24 May to Friday 28 May 2021
- Arts in Transit by Lata Upadhyaya - Saturday 29 May to Sunday 30 May 2021
- Hidden Heroines: The untold stories of the women of the Dockyard - Saturday 29 May to Sunday 31 October 2021
- Lower Halstow Landscape Photography Workshop - Tuesday 1 June 2021
- Tales of Lands and Seas - Monday 7 June to Sunday 13 June 2021
- Exchanged Tides - Saturday 12 June to Sunday 13 June 2021
- The Water Replies by Carolne Bird and Selina Nwulu - Saturday 22 May to Sunday 13 June 2021
- Escaping with Magwitch by Carol Donaldson and Stephen Turner - Saturday 22 May to Sunday 13 June 2021
Festival guides
2 routes of the festival run through Medway:
Route 5
- Gravesend
- Hoo Peninsula
- Rochester
- Chatham
Download the route 5 guide. You can also download an accessible version of the route 5 guide.
Route 6
- Gillingham
- Isle of Sheppey
- Oare
- Faversham
- Seasalter
- Herne Bay
- Margate
- Broadstairs
- Ramsgate
Download the route 6 guide. You can also download an accessible version of the route 6 guide.
Find out more about the Estuary festival.