But so much more yet to come…
After 4 years of working on the Dreamland Margate project, after so many false starts and times when we thought that some of the enormous obstacles that presented themselves could in fact be insurmountable, the first phase of this amazing community instigated project is open.
The June 2015 opening of Dreamland has required the herculean effort of many passionate and dedicated individuals and I am so proud of the HemingwayDesign team, many of whom worked literally round the clock, surviving on a few hours’ sleep (and in some cases no sleep in the final few days). It has been an emotional few weeks for many and we are now itching to see more of our design and set dress vision installed.
The ‘Save Dreamland’ campaign successfully lead to the regeneration of a fire damaged and derelict site, back into a fully operational amusement park. This is a first for the UK and a monumental achievement that will go down in history. The press coverage is of a scale that money just can’t buy, such is the love being shown for this project and the resurgence of the British seaside.
We are extremely grateful to the Dreamland Trust, Thanet Council, Heritage Lottery and laterally Sands Heritage for inviting HemingwayDesign to play the lead design role in a project that has had unprecedented community engagement and support and will live long in the memory.
Dreamland has been one of HemingwayDesign’s most challenging projects working across so many vested interests and with the project having a budget for the whole Phase 1 (including 18 rides, the park spaces the buildings and marketing) equalling the cost of one new blockbuster ride at likes of Alton Towers. It has been tough (to say the least) to start to get the strong and vibrant branding and vision embedded throughout the project and it is far, far from finished.
Dreamland is a work in progress. The emphasis for the Dreamland management team in the past few weeks has been to get some rides open and the site safe for the public. Only a fraction of HemingwayDesign’s design and branding work is installed. The next weeks and months will hopefully see the design and set dress vision come alive as the brand and tone of voice are rolled out across the décor of the rides and the spaces and places in between.
The wider Dreamland pleasure park still has several unique exciting spaces yet to be redeveloped. In opening the first phase of the amusement park, the corner is being turned from a grass roots project into a sustainable business.
This is the timetable as we understand it (but this is the Dreamland project so expect surprises!)
PHASE 1 – FURTHER WORKS JULY 2015
The population of serendipitous set dress and up-cycled artefacts around the external site and completion of the ride narrative and transformation (unrecognisably recognisable Pop icons portraits on the Counter Culture Caterpillar and installation of the Wedgewood Tea Cups).
PHASE 2 – OPENING SUMMER 2015
The Scenic Railway, The Dreamland Ballroom, Garden Café & Education Space.
PHASE 3 – OPENING HALLOWEEN 2015
Dreamland Dark Space.
PHASE 4 – OPENING SPRING 2016
Hall by The Sea, Hall by The Sea Café, Buffet Building & Outdoor Event Space.
PHASE 5 – The Dreamland Cinema…date TBC
Watch out for progress on the www.dreamland.co.uk as well Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.