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About us

Welcome to Gulbenkian.

Gulbenkian is the University of Kent’s Arts Centre offering innovative, engaging and high quality arts activity for the public, staff and students. It provides a key role in delivering the University commitment to public engagement and has a particular focus on the creative empowerment of children and young people.

Our Vision

Gulbenkian will work with a range of creative partners to become a leading 21st Century international arts centre offering an engaging, innovative and high quality arts programme. We will act as a catalyst developing and curating ideas, spaces and emerging talent. The empowerment of children and young people will be at the core of our activity.

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What we do image
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Gulbenkian houses a 340 seat theatre, 300 seat cinema and a café which incorporates an informal cabaret style space for live music, comedy and slam poetry. We programme over 1,000 events including music, comedy, theatre, dance and film per year, enjoyed by more than 100,000 people. The arts centre attracts a range of conferences and events to Kent such as BBC Question Time.

Our work with young people includes ART31, Youth Theatre,  TECH31 , SCREEN31 plus Kent’s international family festival – bOing!

In April 2015 we became an Arts Council of England National Portfolio Organisation in recognition of our developing role as a pioneer in the creative empowerment and engagement of children and young people.

Now part of the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries at University of Kent, our international outlook and the expertise of colleagues helps to inform our work and develop best practices through initiatives like ART31 and the bOing! International Family Festival.

"Altogether, the venue lives and breathes its mission."
Arts Council England Artistic and Quality Assessment 2016

Also from the Gulbenkian

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What we do

We believe passionately in the creative empowerment of children and young people, and this belief drives everything we do.

BOING

Support us

We need your help! If you can donate, volunteer, or just tell everyone you know about us we would love your support.

ART31

ART31 takes its name from Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child, which states that ‘Children have the right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities’.

ART31 is a vision created with, by, and for young people in Kent, championing the belief that all children and young people have an entitlement to access high quality arts and culture, to empower them to achieve their creative potential, and to genuinely engage young people as equal partners in any decision making that affects them.

The ART31 Youth Board is made up of young people from across Kent aged 13-25 who steer its governance, and influence policy and practice across the county and beyond, challenging the creative sector to examine existing ways of working and integrate young people into the core of their practice.

Our projects with young people

GENFest Young people posing in a cardboard Instagram frame

ART31 Generate

ART31 Generate is made up of young people from across Kent aged 13-25. They steer ART31's governance, influence arts policy and practice, and programme the annual GENFest Youth Takeover Festival.

Youth Theatre

Fantastic and fun sessions for ages 13-18 years, encouraging creativity and theatre-making skills.

Live Streaming film equipment.

SCREEN31

Screen31 is a group for young people aged 15-25 interested in developing their film-making skills.
TECH31

TECH31

TECH31 provides free practical training in technical theatre for ages 13 - 25
Two actors laughing.

National Theatre Connections – Gulbenkian Young Company

NT Connections is the National Theatre’s nationwide youth theatre festival. Each year it offers a unique opportunity for youth theatres and school theatre groups to stage new plays written for young people by some of theatre’s most exciting playwrights, and to perform in leading theatres across the UK.
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Gulbenkian Uncovered

Are you enthusiastic, committed and creative? Gulbenkian Uncovered gives University of Kent students the chance to programme films and run events.

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Square Pegs Arts

Square Pegs Arts are an award winning charity who provide drama groups, music projects and other accessible Arts opportunities for children and young adults who have learning disabilities and autism, and produce original, inspiring, challenging Theatre. Difference is celebrated and everyone is supported to shine in their own way.
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KRAN Fam

KRAN Fam is a drama group in partnership with Kent Refugee Action Network for young refugees and asylum-seekers.

Accessible Film Club

Relaxed Screenings

Monthly film screenings that are open to all, especially those with autism and learning disabilities.

Young People - Screen31 ARTY31

ARTY31

Gulbenkian’s ARTY31 group is for young people aged 8-12 with a wide variety of arts interests.

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