Changing lives

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There’s still no news on the future of the Rye Creative Centre (RCC) – it is due to be demolished as part of the housing development planned for the Freda Gardham old school site. Rye News has been featuring the stories of some of the artists at the centre who have been telling us about their work and their concerns for the future.

This week: Keith Kettle

As an amateur artist I never thought I’d get the chance of working in my own studio again or being part of a community of artists which is what RCC is. When a studio was offered in 2022, I jumped and have never looked back. I know how rare spaces are and especially affordable ones.

Back in the 90s I was part of Studio Voltaire in Clapham, it was commune of artist, sculptures, theatre and film people with a desire to create. Against all odds it established itself as a successful arts organisation serving artists and the local community. Seeing certain similarities, threat of closure but one, made me think what RCC can achieve if there’s enough people with vision!

Call me Joker by Keith Kettle

Everyone agrees it’s a good asset to Rye, socially, culturally and economically. The will is there, the heart, the vision, and the LAND too!

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create something special, it won’t come again.
Now I paint every day or every other day at the studio. I’m probably painting better now than ever before and that’s not down to me, it’s down to RCC, the community of artists, the encouragement, the advice, the ideas it generates.

RCC changes lives, it changed mine.

Take it away and you change nothing!

Keith Kettle artist (of no consequence)

Rye Creative Centre artist Keith Kettle

Image Credits: Keith Kettle .

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3 COMMENTS

  1. Proud to say Keith is a valued member of the Tuesday Painters Club of Rye. His work is amazing! Fingers crossed for Keith and all the other artists with studios at RCC that this community will find suitable premises very soon.

  2. I lead a children’s singing club weekly at the Rye Creative Centre for children and students aged 5-16 years, attending any school/ college or those being home schooled living in Rye and all the surrounding areas. The venue is fabulous, I use the downstairs art room which is perfect for us. The artists I see are lovely people, and we all value the Creative Centre and it’s facilities enormously. The singing club have performed in the beautiful main hall several times. What a great community venue it is.
    Thank you.

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