A summer of art, dance and community at Harbour House

As Harbour House prepares to open its next community programme exhibition, the team is reflecting on a summer of contemporary art, dance and creative participation with Ekleido.

Over the summer, Harbour House welcomed movement artists Hannah Ekholm and Faye Stoeser for Ekleido, an exhibition exploring movement, perception, sound and the body.

Running from July to September, the exhibition brought ambitious contemporary work to Kingsbridge alongside a programme of performances, workshops and community activity. It was a project that reached well beyond the gallery walls, creating opportunities for local people to encounter and participate in contemporary art in different ways.

One of the highlights was Splice, a special performance created for Kingsbridge Fair Week. Taking place in the town square, the contemporary dance performance brought movement into the heart of Kingsbridge and attracted an audience of approximately 400 people.

The exhibition also provided opportunities for local children and young people to work directly with the artists. Pupils from Kingsbridge Community Primary School and Kingsbridge Community College took part in creative workshops, exploring ideas from the exhibition through movement and making.

Community participation was another important part of the project. Harbour House worked with Learn Devon to deliver an accessible session for adults with learning disabilities, giving participants the opportunity to explore the exhibition and respond to the work in their own ways. Feedback from the group highlighted the importance of Harbour House as an accessible and welcoming space, and the positive impact of opportunities to encounter new ideas, develop confidence and have creative work recognised and valued.

Alongside the exhibition and performance programme, Harbour House also delivered creative activities connected to Fair Week, including movement and lantern-making workshops.

Visitor responses showed a particular appreciation for the opportunity to experience contemporary dance and performance in Kingsbridge. For many, the exhibition offered a chance to encounter artists and ideas that they might not otherwise have experienced locally.

For Harbour House, Ekleido demonstrated the value of combining ambitious contemporary exhibitions with opportunities for people to participate, experiment and experience art in different ways. From contemporary dance in the town square to workshops with local schools and accessible sessions with community groups, the project created multiple points of connection between the artists, Harbour House and the wider Kingsbridge community.

Now, as Harbour House prepares to open its next community programme exhibition, 100 Languages, the team is looking forward to building on this work. The new exhibition will celebrate the creativity and ideas of children and young people, bringing together work by artists Erika Cann, Llyr Davies and Sam Machell alongside contributions from local children who have taken part in Harbour House’s after-school and holiday programmes.

After a summer of movement, performance and contemporary art, 100 Languages will offer another opportunity to celebrate creativity within the local community — and to see what can happen when people are given the space, encouragement and opportunity to express themselves.

Join Harbour House for the opening celebration event in the gallery on Fri 9 Oct, 6pm-8pm!