Folkestone Triennial 2025 dates and theme announced
The Triennial will dig deep into the geology and geography of Folkestone
Creative Folkestone has shared the dates for the sixth edition of the Folkestone Triennial .
Taking place from Saturday 19th July to Sunday 19th October 2025, the Triennial is bringing ambitious new commissions by leading UK and international artists to public spaces across the Kentish seaside town.
Directed for the first time by Sorcha Carey, next year’s Triennial will dig deep into the geology and geography of Folkestone, excavating the bedrock and bonebeds which have shaped the origins of human settlement in the town.
One of very few international biennials and triennials which focus almost exclusively on art made for beyond the formal gallery setting, the 2025 Triennial will take residents and visitors alike on a journey into Folkestone’s deep past.
The themes for 2025 can now be shared. Experts trace the origins of the name Folkestone to ‘Folca’s stone’, referencing a stone which acted as a meeting point in the landscape for the wider community.
The name Folkestone (Folcastan’) is attested as early as the 7th century AD, though the origins of human settlement on this spot date back to as early as 4000 BCE, when stone age people first began to settle and cultivate crops and animals.
Previous editions of Folkestone Triennial have focused on the histories and geographies of Folkestone in its heyday, from the early Victorian period through to the first and second world wars and more modern contemporary history. This edition, yet to be named, will look even further into the past.
Carey, who was previously the director of Edinburgh Art Festival and is now the Director of Collective explains: “In digging into the soil, I'm interested to think about how some of Folkestone's deep histories can offer a space to reflect on contemporary concerns: from migration to the climate crisis, from how we form communities to our relationship to landscape. To think of the deep past depends on a leap of the imagination.
“The triennial invites artists to respond to the place and context of Folkestone, to reflect on human connections to and with the land, and out of the deep past to imagine new futures.”
A full list of artists will be announced in Spring 2025 and will feature both established and emerging artists from across the UK and around the world. Each artist will respond to Folkestone; its landscape and its histories, to create new work that will inspire possible futures for the town.
The hugely popular art event is a chance to enjoy a culturally minded summer weekend in the seaside town. Visitors to Folkestone Triennial are invited to experience a range of contemporary art works that offer new perspectives on a town recently voted the Best Place to Live in the Southeast.
Image: Sorcha Carey by Matt Rowe
Presented every three years since 2008, Folkestone Triennial has invited world-class and critically-acclaimed artists to create new work inspired by the town, landscape, and history. Previous editions of the festival have included artists such as Antony Gormley, Cornelia Parker, Lubaina Himid, Michael Sailstorfer, Rana Begum, Tracey Emin, and many more.
