As 2023 comes to a close, we are reflecting on achieving our main objective which was to get planning permission for the PERFUGIUM MISERIS artwork. Today, we went too the site on Ramsgate Harbour Arm of the new project which will be, hopefully, delivered in the New Year.

Thank you once again to Thanet District Council for granting us permission to bring this profound installation to this historic harbour.

Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year to all of you, and we look forward to catching up in 2024.

We have an amazing announcement to make!

At last night’s Planning meeting, the Committee overwhelmingly voted to grant permission for our PERFUGIUM MISERIS art work down in Ramsgate Harbour. Now, the hard work really begins to deliver this complex and profound artwork for a much loved coastal town.

The history of the Goodwin Sands and their impact on the nearby sea fairing community is a story dear to our hearts.

We look forward to bringing the next iteration of this iconic artwork in 2024.

Thank you so much to Thanet District Council.

Watch this space…

Mooch’s Highly Commended certificate form the Ramsgate Design Awards 2023

WHEE! Artwork that was nominated in the Public Realm category for the Ramsgate Design Awards 2023

Mooch has won an award!

We are really pleased to have won a Highly Commended award in part of last weeks Ramsgate Design Awards event. The awards, organised by the Ramsgate Society, Ramsgate Town Council and the Ramsgate Heritage and Design Forum, received over 30 nominations in the various categories, which goes to show how much residents, local owners and developers care about the quality of the built environment in Ramsgate.

'WHEE!' was nominated in the Public Realm category, and was up against some very prestigious competition. Congratulations to the winner of the Public Realm category which was Ellington Park, a mammoth project by any standards and a worthy winner. We are still delighted however to have Mooch's work recognized and appreciated.

Thank you to to all those who made this awards event so special.

The Ramsgate Society

Ramsgate Town Council

Ramsgate Heritage Design Forum

To find out more about ‘WHEE!’ please click here.

Voices on Art - Event poster - @julia_jane_heckles

Julia Jane Heckles (Left) and Theresa Smith (Right)

Julia Jane Heckles and Theresa Smith introducing the talk from Voices on Art

Since May 2022, Hold Creative Spaces in Ramsgate have been holding evening talks entitled ‘Voice on Art’, hosted by Julia Jane Heckles who is a Morley College lecturer and the resident art historian at Hold. On the 6th July 2023, Theresa Smith from Mooch was invited to contribute to the theme of that evenings talk, which was ‘Is Public Art an Imposition?’. Julia invited the audience to consider the different types of creative interventions in the public realm, how they felt and what were the positives and negatives of each of those disciplines. Opinions were voiced on issues such as plagiarism, conflict of political views and even the sheer inconvenience of an object in a public space.

Theresa was invited to share her experiences of running Mooch for the last 21 years, talking about the ups and downs of the projects that made it, and some of those that didn’t. For Theresa, it was a real pleasure to reminisce about projects like ‘The Guildford Guys’ and ‘Folkestone station’. She was very grateful for the feedback received from the Ramsgate audience on the projects that have been delivered in that seaside town, including the story of a 91 year old father of one of the audience members, who spent and hour listening and translating the morse code sound track in ‘Worse Things Happen at Sea’.

“Could literally listen to you talk about your projects all night!”

— Bev Howard - Hold Creative Spaces CIC

Julia was a fun and engaging host who clearly left the group better informed at the end of the evening. Thank you so much Julia and Hold for a great event.

Julia Jane Heckles

Hold Creative Spaces

Photo of Catrin enjoying her reflections @catrinosborne

Participant having fun with the artwork (Photo by Theresa Smith)

The artwork ‘WHEE!’ has been catching the beachgoers attention over the last couple months! In September 2022, Mooch installed a new artwork on the public toilets outside the Royal Pavilion in Ramsgate. These large, polished stainless steel letters resemble the classic seaside seaside attraction of the “hall of mirrors”. The artwork is a play on words and WHEE! not only represents the squeal of thrill seekers when they are enjoying themselves at the local fun fairs, but they are a cheeky nod to the toilets on which the artwork is placed.

We wanted to encourage the public to interact with the artwork and post their hilarious selfies using #WHEE! and we have had some amazing responses so far: elongated legs, short arms and long faces, the reflections remind us of the fun that the seaside can bring. One Instagram user (@catrinosborne) responded with “I love it, its so fairground which is perfect for Ramsgate”

“I love it, it’s so fairground which is perfect for Ramsgate”

— @catrinosborne

We have loved seeing everyone’s photo’s and we are excited to see more posts coming through every week. For more information on this project please visit WHEE! on our project page. Please take a look at our social pages on Facebook and Instagram @TheresaMooch.

Get down to Ramsgate seafront, have a play with WHEE! and add your selfie! Don’t forget to use the hashtag #WHEE!

Mooch was delighted to receive an invitation and join the Broadstairs college work placement conference a few days ago. We have worked with the industry liaison program for a few years now and spent the morning chatting with students about their aspirations to work in the creative industries.

The conference aims to provide advice and opportunities for their students and we certainly had an incredibly busy morning, talking to many young creatives about their ambitions and ideas. The event was packed with companies ranging from sole traders to the NHS.

It was lovely to bump into several of our previous work experience students and talk about what they are doing currently.

Thanks so much to the Broadstairs college for organizing such a dynamic and successful event. We look forward to working with your students again soon.

Mooch’s latest artwork WHEE! on Ramsgate Seafront

The WHEE Artwork alongside the installation. Poster designed by Patrick George.

Mooch’s WHEE! Artwork installed on the side of Ramsgate’s public toilets.

WHEE! is Ramsgate’s latest seaside attraction.

Next time you are by the toilets at Ramsgate seafront, stop outside to try out the new artwork on the wall.  WHEE is an installation that has just been completed, which invites people to stop and play with their reflections in the curved letters made of mirror stainless steel. The project is a reference to the classic “hall of mirrors” seaside attraction but it’s also about the joy of being at the beach.   The project was the idea of Ramsgate based art practice Mooch who have been working on public realm projects in the town since 2014.

WHEE is a 4 metre wide series of concave and convex letters that distort your image to make you wide, thin, upside down and just plain odd!  The playful letters are beautifully made with mirror sides and add a punchy graphic statement whilst distorting the harbour around it.

Theresa Smith from Mooch explained “we want to give people a new reason to come to Ramsgate Seafront and do something fun that you have to actually be there to experience.  It’s about getting people out and enjoying themselves following some difficult years for all of us”.

“It’s about getting people out and enjoying themselves following some difficult years for all of us”

— Theresa Smith, Mooch

The project was principally funded by Kent County Council as part of their Cultural Sector Build Back Better fund which aimed to find new ways of connecting with audiences and give them the confidence to attend and access culture.  Ramsgate Town Council also supported the project with the Ramsgate Fund which benefits the residents of the town.  The poster, designed by Ramsgate Illustrator PatrickGeorge, gives you a sense of the excitement felt by many when visiting the beach which is the inspiration behind the work.

During the installation on the 22nd September, many people stopped to ask about the project and 4 different people recalled the “crazy mirrors” which used to be by the beach on the Royal Victoria Pavilion.  It was clearly a very popular attraction and so many people were delighted to have something similar back again.

The poster for the project invites people to take selfies of their crazy reflections and post them with the hashtag #WHEE and Mooch will be seeing how creatively people interact with the mirrors as the world turns literally upside down.  Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram @TheresaMooch. Get down to Ramsgate seafront, have a play with WHEE! and post your selfie for us!

To read more about the project, please click here.

This month Mooch is 20 years old!

Started in 2002 with a business grant from the Custom House Regeneration project, (THANK YOU Graham Pilkington!) we went straight into working up ideas for public realm improvements in regeneration areas. The work expanded into sculptures, street furniture and creative community projects that shone a light on the positives in challenging neighbourhoods. Over the years we have been so grateful to work with many other creatives, organisations, clients and countless participants on defining a spirit of place and bringing the history of a location to life.

From beer mats to hoardings, steel sculptures to glow-in-the dark mottos, the artwork is as diverse as the places and people they serve. The themes also change, from memorials that mark tragic events, to projects that are pure fun, escapism, and creativity! Mooch has also succeeded in offering opportunities for emerging artistic talent to grow and gain experience in an industry that is a source of pride for so many of us.

Thank you to everyone who has shown Mooch support and we are very excited for what the future brings.

Hello Moochers!

To celebrate the up-and-coming Queens Platinum Jubilee, Mooch & Hold Creative Spaces are bringing a series of events in Ramsgate to celebrate the occasion.

The Really Royal Royal Harbour activities will include crown making, a photo booth and a flash mob! Come along to our workshop and create your very own royal crown and have your photo taken in our really royal photo booth on the last day.

Crown Making Workshops:

Tuesday 31st May & Wednesday 1st June 12pm - 4pm at Hold Creative Spaces. Penstone House, CT11 9HD.

Thursday 2nd June & Friday 3rd June 12pm - 4pm at The Yellow Tent. Harbour Parade, CT11 8LS.

Photo Booth:

Friday 3rd June 12pm - 4pm at Cozi Van Tutti. Harbour Parade CT11 8LS.

Flash Mob:

Details revealed when you join our workshops!

We look forward to seeing you all for a really royal bit of fun!

A special thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund, Ramsgate Town Council and Addington Street.

Thanks to Hold Creative Spaces for being our project partners and Sharon Hendy for designing our really royal poster.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 has featured our beach writing in their ‘in review’ e-magazine. We are so glad it has served the cause.

Here is an excerpt from their recent post.

Today we are looking back on the past 12 months. We have published ‘HMD 2022 In Review’: How did the UK mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2022? And what was the impact on those who took part?

‘Our world – only just emerging battered and bruised by the global pandemic – is facing a new existential challenge. A world where a sovereign nation has been invaded, civilians deliberately attacked and a people’s right to their Ukrainian identity, threatened. Our present is once again so overwhelming that it can be difficult to remember the past. So as we look back on the last 12 months, we take heart in knowing that people from right across the UK came together to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2022.’

– Our Chief Executive Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE and our Chair of Trustees, Laura Marks OBE, reflect on Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 .

Read HMD 2022 In Review: https://www.hmd.org.uk/news/hmd-2022-in-review-reflecting-on-the-last-year/

Find out how you can support us to reach even more people throughout the UK during #HMD2023:
https://hmd.enthuse.com/cf/hmd-22-in-review

#HolocaustMemorialDay #HMD2022 #ReviewTheYear

@AntwrightVideography

"When we learn about the Holocaust and more recent genocides we learn for a purpose: to challenge present-day discriminations and hostility."

This is a quote from Rabbi Cliff Cohen, from the Thanet and District Reform Synagogue, who spoke at the Ramsgate Holocaust Memorial Day service. Other moving speeches were also made including the Mayor of Ramsgate.

Guests gathered at Ramsgate's Albion Gardens Today for a service to honour and remember those that have lost their lives through genocide in the past and present.

The picture presented is the hashtag for this years Holocaust Memorial Day, and was drawn in the sand at Ramsgate Beach by Mooch and the team, to promote todays service.

To find out more about this poignant, global event, please go to hmd.org.uk

"Never forget. Never again"

Photo credit: @Antwrightvideography

Over 2021, Mooch participated in the government backed scheme called Kickstarter, which funded work experience for young people on universal credit between the ages of 16-24. From April to October, Jessica Clements worked on the fantastic Rydesgate project and became a crucial part of the project delivery. Here are her thoughts on the benefits to her as someone who participated in this scheme.

“The opportunity to work for Mooch through the Kickstarter scheme has been incredible. Through working with Theresa at Mooch, I have gained a great insight in what it takes to work within the creative industries for the public realm and learnt many key skills that I can take forward in my own creative practise as an artist. I have developed valuable connections within the area and really seen first-hand how public art can benefit local communities and those who live in them. I enjoyed working at Mooch very much and I’m so grateful to of had the opportunity to be part of it.”-Jessica Clements

Mooch is now on the threshold of employing our second Kickstarter for six months and is looking forward very much to collaborating with another aspiring creative young person.

To find out more information on the government Kickstarter scheme please follow the link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/kickstart-scheme

The Isle of Rydesgate has been published in the Ramsgate Recorder, a Thanet newspaper that celebrates a range of topics including local businesses, heritage, arts and culture. Reporter Russel Chater has written a two page article in The Ramsgate Recorder, featuring photos of the Rydesgate Exhibition in Ramsgate taken by Eleanor Marriot and also features an exclusive interview with Mooch’s founder, Theresa Smith, where she discusses the High Street Heritage Action Zone and the inspiration behind the ‘Isle of Rydesgate’.

As it has now come to close, we also want to thank everybody who has been involved and contributed their creativity and vision for a better high street in our towns.

To read the full article please visit:

https://issuu.com/ramsgaterecorder/docs/rr10_autumn_web-2

and if you want to catch up on the full story behind the project please visit:

https://www.mooch.co/project/rydesgate-model-high-street

Mooch

We asked people in Ramsgate and Ryde to imagine an alternative High Street. Come and see their creativity let loose on the Isle of Rydesgate in our latest project.

You can join us and help make a new shop for our fantasy town. Drop us a message by 8th July on the Mooch contact page with your name and address and we will post a craft kit to you for creating a new shop.

Our exhibitions are now confirmed and we will be at:

Ramsgate: 23rd June to 10th July

Wednesday 23rd June – 1pm-5pm
Thursday 24th June – 1pm-5pm
Friday 25th June – 1pm-5pm
Tuesday 29th June – 1pm-5pm
Wednesday 30th June – 1pm-5pm
Thursday 1st July – 1pm-5pm
Saturday 3rd July – 1pm-5pm
Tuesday 6th July – 1pm-5pm
Wednesday 7th July – 1pm-5pm
Thursday 8th July – 1pm-5pm
Saturday 10th July – 1pm-5pm

Ryde: 17th July to 8th August

Do drop by if you can and keep an eye out for our opening times and conditions as these will be subject to prevailing Covid restrictions. In any case, you can view online via the project page

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Find Us

Ramsgate Location:

42 High Street*
Ramsgate
CT11 9AG

*not #46 as stated on the flyer

 

Ryde Location:

29-30 Cross Street
Ryde
PO33 2LL

 

Mooch is working with Historic England on their High Street Heritage Action Zone Cultural Programme called Twin Towns. We are “twinning” Ramsgate in Kent and Ryde on the Isle of Wight, coastal resorts with many connections. Using their #HistoricHighStreets as inspiration, we are creating a model high street of the fantasy Isle of Rydesgate.

We need you to help us make the templates for the model buildings so if you fancy having fun with your drawing skills, please click the link below for our template instructions to Help Create Rydesgate High Street. All the designs will become part of the Historic England archive for the Cultural Programme and the best ones will be printed to make the 3D models of the new Rydesgate town centre.

To download the template instructions and for more information please visit: https://www.mooch.co/project/rydesgate-model-high-street

DEADLINE FOR YOUR TEMPLATE RETURN IS 4th JUNE SO GET SKETCHING!

Postcard from the Isle of Rydesgate - artwork by @KavelRafferty

Mooch is delighted to announce that we finally have our planning permission to go ahead with a new version of the PERFUGIUM MISERIS artwork that we did for Ramsgate in 2016. Huge thanks to Ramsgate Town Council and Thanet District Council for their support and confidence in the project. Now the hard work starts of delivering what will be a major artwork for the town. Thanks again to del Renzio & del Renzio architects and with Considine civil and structural engineers, engineers and to the harbour office staff for their help and patience in this awful year. Also to Arts Council England for supporting the research into the new version of the artwork #acesupported.

It’s been a damn tricky year but we have now put in our planning application for the new version of the PERFUGIUM MISERIS artwork. Mooch has been working with del Renzio & del Renzio architects, who are based in Ramsgate, on developing the drawings needed for the application. We have also been working with Considine civil and structural engineers, also based in Kent, on the framework for the letters. It is finally coming together.

Thanks so much to the architects, engineers and to the harbour office staff for their help and patience in this awful year. Also to Arts Council England for supporting the research into the new version of the artwork #acesupported. Click here to access the application.

A dramatic version of the del Renzio & del Renzio architect’s drawing of the artwork.

Mooch is delighted to be part of the HistoricEngland.org.uk/HighStreetCulture project. Working alongside Dan Thompson, Mooch will be constructing Model High Streets as part of the Twin Towns project. For more information about the 6 Twin Towns commissions and the broad and exciting ideas that are afoot from creative practitioners around the country click here. Many thanks to Historic England, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England for their support in the Cultural Programme and to Ramsgate Town Council for supporting the Mooch project Our Model High Street.

Plaster moulds at the Gladstone Pottery Museum Longton Stoke on Trent photo © Freya Gabie

Mooch is delighted to be chosen by Historic England as one of the 5 creatives working on the Connect Commissions as part of the HSHAZ nationwide scheme to secure lasting improvements to our historic high street for the communities who use them.  Connect is part of the Cultural Programme, the core values of which are to be: Local, Inclusive, Quality, Co-created, Responsible and Integrated. The project is designed to creatively bring together distant HSHAZs that share the same hopes and challenges.

Our Model High Street is the working title for the Mooch project which will link the seaside resort towns of Ramsgate in Kent and Ryde on the Isle of Wight.  The project will create a scaled version of key buildings in both high streets and invite residents to re-imagine and design their own versions of these building facades for display in an exhibition in the towns over the Summer season.  Participants and visitors to the displays can study and appreciate the characteristics of the 2 towns and share a sense of being a part of this HSHAZ big idea.  Mooch is delighted to be working on this project with Dan Thompson, artist, writer and founder of the Empty Shops Network.

Vintage postcard of a long gone model village in Ramsgate.