When the cancellation of Felixstowe’s popular Art On The Prom event was announced earlier this year, it was a real disappointment for many people in the town.
Around four weeks ago, This Is Felixstowe visited Felixstowe Indoor Market to chat with Helen and Jan about whether there was an opportunity to create something different for Felixstowe.
From that conversation, the idea for “Art Not On The Prom” was born.
Helen had already been thinking about doing something, and during our chat she suddenly came up with the name:
“Art Not On The Prom!”
Within hours of our meeting, an email arrived from Helen announcing that she had already secured 30 businesses who wanted to be involved!
Helen then set about bringing the idea to life with huge enthusiasm — contacting businesses across Felixstowe, gathering support and matching venues with local artists to create a unique trail of artwork displayed in shop windows, cafés and venues around the town.
The response was fantastic, with more than 50 businesses and artists eventually taking part, giving visitors the chance to explore Felixstowe in a different way and discover artwork, independent businesses and hidden gems across the town.
When Friday morning arrived, there was a real sense of excitement as Helen and I saw the artwork proudly displayed in shop windows and venues across Felixstowe, following the installation the day before.
The Felixstowe Indoor Market became a busy starting point, with lots of visitors calling in to collect their trail maps and begin their journey around the town.
As I walked around Felixstowe on the Saturday, capturing the event in pictures, it was fantastic to see people following the trail, chatting about it, visiting shops they hadn’t before, ticking off the different venues and discovering the artwork created by local artists.
Seeing people exploring the town, visiting businesses and enjoying the creativity on display was a wonderful reminder of what can happen when a community comes together.
A huge thank you goes to Helen and the Felixstowe Indoor Market, every business and every artist who helped make the trail happen. It was a brilliant example of what can be achieved when local people, businesses and artists work together.
This Is Felixstowe was delighted to support the event from the very beginning, helping promote the trail, create the trail map and checklist, and showcase the businesses and artists involved.
I have now created a special Art Not On The Prom Trail – In Pictures gallery, allowing you to look back at the venues, artwork and creativity that made this unique event such a success.