An emotional connection and the desire to discover new artists are central to the triumphant return of The Lido Stores, writes Joe Bill

Lying empty and locked up for more than a decade, the former off licence on Ethelbert Terrace in Cliftonville holds more than a few memories for its owner.

The front signage and a £2.95 packet of cigarettes were all that was left when Kristen Healy re-entered the building that she grew up in during the 90s when her father ran the shop. Having moved away to complete her art degree, as well as living in Ireland for an extended period, there was a calling to come home to Margate and see what could be done about The Lido Stores (@lido_stores_margate), as it is known.

“It was always something that I had in mind,” says Kristen. “I left Margate when I was 18. It was a very different place back then - it was quite depressing, really, and there wasn’t much going on.

“I did come back briefly in my 20s and had studios at CRATE and LIMBO. There was excitement about the Turner Contemporary happening and there was a small group of artists. I would come back and visit family and my friends here and over the years it was just like, ‘Wow, this is actually changing quite rapidly and quite a cool place’.

“The off licence had been closed since 2011, so there was something in mind that there was a space we could use.”

Having a son, Kristen made the decision to return to Thanet and set up a small studio practice in The Old Kent Market. But it was the pause caused by the pandemic that sparked the move to Lido Stores.

“Covid basically gave us a chance to spend a bit of time renovating the shop, turning it into a bigger gallery space. So that’s what we did,” she says.

“... it just takes the right person walking in and seeing it and falling in love with it, because buying art is such a personal thing”

Now running The Lido Stores with finance Elliott Marsh - the pair actually met in the shop - the space is split into two areas: the shop, which stocks and promotes emerging and mid-career artists with a focus on contemporary painting, and the former storeroom area, which was converted into a separate gallery space featuring rotating exhibitions.

Opposite the famous Lido obelisk, the terrace of units includes Bar Nothing, cocktail locale Daisy and international cosmetic purveyor Haeckels, while down the road there is trendy Fort’s Café and events space Faith In Strangers, making the front row of Cliftonville a very attractive area.

“There’s a real sense of community forming here, which is lovely - the businesses are very supportive of each other,” says Kristen. “The artists are really keen to support these start-up galleries and attend private views and point other artists in our direction - and vice versa, too. There’s a lot of buzz.”

The Lido Stores has become well known in the art circles of Margate, Kent and well beyond, attracting artists from across the UK and Ireland. A big part of this are the Lido Open Calls, in which artists are encouraged to submit their work with the chance to win an exhibition of their work at the gallery. The entrants are narrowed down into a shortlisted group show before an eventual winner is chosen.

“We do two open calls a year and they’re free to enter,” says Kristen. “We have one running at the moment, actually, and we invite a guest judge to put their stamp on the curation of the show.”

This year’s judge is Kent resident and founding member of the Stuckism movement Charles Williams.

“The winner, selected by the guest judge, goes on to have a solo exhibition the following summer,” adds Elliott. “The first open call attracted 250 artist submissions, while last year’s was in the region of about 500. The expectation is this year will be similar in terms of the interest and that’s really important because it draws new artists to the space.

“It helps to keep it fresh and bring in artists who wouldn’t necessarily be in a position in their career, perhaps, where they could have a solo show in a gallery.”

The commercial/shop space at the front of the gallery displays the works of up to 50 artists at a time, from paintings to ceramics, sculpture and even local jewellers. And while Kristen’s personal taste has some influence on what is on offer (of course), the open calls are also great for unearthing new talent.

“We’re just up for giving people a chance,” she says. “I love living with the artwork, it’s all stuff that I really admire. It’s so difficult for artists, you know, if you’re busy squirrelling away in your studio making fantastic work, but if nobody sees it, nobody’s gonna be able to buy it.

And it just takes the right person walking in and seeing it and falling in love with it, because buying art is such a personal thing.”

With the exhibition space hosting new shows every three weeks, Elliott and Kristen are also becoming renowned for their private viewings, which have attracted up to 300 art lovers.

“We want to keep it a very inclusive space,” says Kristen. “The private views are very welcoming and we have wonderful conversations with people that are just curious about the work and the origins.”

Outside of The Lido Open, demand for the exhibition space continues to rise, with it booked up well into 2024, with artists hailing from both near and far looking to take a trip to The Lido Stores.

“I’m excited about what’s going on,” says Kristen. You know, there’s Quench and Carl Freedman Gallery and the Tracey Emin Studio set up. People are watching Margate. I’ve had quite prominent artists in Ireland contact me for exhibitions next year. It’s an exciting time.”

While there are plans for an off-site collaboration with a local cafe, The Lido Stores won’t be spreading its wings to new, larger venues just yet. But there may be plans for a potential renovation of the historic building, which was once a chemist’s in the early part of the 20th century (pictured).

“It used to be really beautiful,” says Elliott. “It had a beautiful glass frontage and a really elaborate doorway, which was taken out when a car crashed into it - we think it was in the 80s. There are a few nods to the various aspects of its past, and that’s something we’re keen to draw a bead on, you know, that history is important.”

A historic image of the shop was mentioned in a recent Instagram post by the pair, which sparked a lot of interest. And while some old pharmaceutical scales are on show (and they still work), it’s the emotions tied to the building that drive Kristen and Elliott on.

“People do come in and talk about my dad and say ‘Oh, I remember you, you know!’, which is really nice,” says Kristen. “I never thought that I would want to live here again. Then when I had a son, you know, your home draws you back, doesn’t it?”

INFO: https://www.thelidostores.com/

THE LIDO OPEN 2023

Application deadline: 11.59pm, 31 July 2023
All shortlisted work will be exhibited at The Lido Stores Gallery for three weeks from Friday, 8 September, 2023, to Saturday, 30 September, 2023
The winner will be announced at a private view on Saturday, 9 September, 2023.