what is a triennial? – Alastair Upton CEO Creative Folkestone

What Is A Triennial?  It’s a question asked often in Folkestone as Triennial is part of the fabric of the town.  Quite literally.  Alastair Upton is CEO of Creative Folkestone, the charity behind the largest free, urban art festival in the UK that invigorates Folkestone every 3.2 years.  Folkelife discovered some of the new artworks on display for the 6th venture of the festival with Alastair on the East Cliff.

“I was in one of our local primary schools the other day, talking about this year’s festival, and the facilitator asked the children – what is a Triennial?  Which, on one hand is a weird question to ask, and on the other gained some really interesting insights.  The children’s hands shot up, and it turns out a Triennial is when we put artworks up all over town.  The word seems part of our vocabulary here in Folkestone. 

“It’s supposed to happen every three years, but Covid and other issues have meant it happens every 3.2 years which is still within the definition of Tri.  The thing is, people know it’s about artworks popping up over the town for us to explore and experience.  It’s what art should be – unrestricted, accessible to all, and part of everyday life.”

the theme

“I came to Creative Folkestone in 2012 and by then there had already been two Triennials.  Curated by Andrea Schlieker, the 2008 and 2011 Triennials had a particular style and feel coming into a town which had no history of public art.  In 2008, there was nothing to build on.  In fact, Folkestone, historically, had been famous for turning down having a Henry Moore on The Leas because the council thought Contemporary Art wasn’t the right feel for the town.  Andrea created some fantastic shows, with some very famous artists of the time – Tracey Emin for example. The storylines Andrea used were familiar to Folkestone.

“The next curator was Lewis Biggs, and we worked on three shows together.  Lewis is an urbanist and we looked at how the town was built, and how people moved around the town. The artists’ interventions were about what would make the town better and easier to live in.  In 2025, we have a new curator – Sorcha Carey – and this 6th Triennial has a different theme.  Sorcha wasn’t so attached to the built history of the town, but about the prehistory and roots of Folkestone.  We’re currently walking over the East Cliff which has Roman and Anglo-Saxon burials beneath our feet.  How Lies The Land? is the premise. What are we walking on?  What are we stepping on?  We’re taking the long view, discovering the bones of rhinoceros and other mammals that lived here long ago.” 

economic transformation

“Folkestone has radically transformed from when we did the first Triennial.  I can remember for my first Triennial in 2014 we painted the words ‘Weather is a Third to Time and Place’ on the Lighthouse at the end of Folkestone Harbour.  But you had to view this through binoculars because the Arm was inaccessible.  It hadn’t been renovated yet, and wasn’t a public walkway.  In 2017, the Harbour Arm had been opened a couple of years, and then in 2021 we were coming out of Covid, but if you go down there now the place is packed – and there are artworks along all of it. 

“The town has changed, but also, it hasn’t changed.  There was a government initiative called the Neighbourhood Commission which reported back in July 2025 identifying areas of the UK that were the most deprived. And one in Folkestone, along Tontine Street, is in the worst 2% of the most deprived places in the whole country.  So, here we are putting on an art exhibition in a town that has these issues – a third of adults not having skills and qualifications which is a barrier to employment.  These areas have been identified as ‘mission critical’ places and where there’s a barrier to work, there’s a limit to wages and productivity.  We have work to do.”

folkestone through triennials

“From my viewpoint as the head of Creative Folkestone it’s sometimes hard for me to see just how deep the work we do penetrates the town.  But I go back to the primary school reaction from the other day. These kids were responding so viscerally about art being in their lives.  They were getting really excited about the playpark we’re building as part of the redesign of the town centre.  It will be complete with salamanders, and you can interact with one at the top of the slide in Payers Park at the moment. 

“This is art, and based in our community, and the most important element of this urban gallery is interaction.  Our artworks are for people to touch, climb and play on and connect with, and navigate around the town by.  We have lots of work to do in the poorer parts of town, and that work continues.  But, by bringing visitors and the community to experience our town through art, helps in an economic way, and also through having pride in the place we live.”