Medway Culture

24/06/2026

54 years ago today on 24 June 1972, Roy Orbison, the legendary singer-songwriter, performed at Chatham Town Hall as part of an extensive UK and world tour. Did you or someone you know go to this gig? If so we would love to hear any memories of it.

The Brook Theatre is currently closed for restoration, being undertaken for Medway Council by and . The project is supported by UK Government funding, Medway Council and the Future High Streets Fund.
Find out more about The Brook Theatre here https://medwayticketslive.co.uk/info/brook-theatre

24/06/2026

🏰 We are pleased to announce that (a week ahead of plan) Rochester Castle will re-open to the public on Wednesday 24 June from 10am.

Safety for visitors and staff is our top priority, so we appreciate your patience during this time. A step inside the 900-year-old keep has been repaired with support from a specialist stonemason ⛑️🧱

We can't wait for you all to continue exploring the castle!

📅 Sat 27 + Sun 28 June
🎻 Medieval Music brings the castle to life!
⏰ 10am - 5pm

See you there 🙂

24/06/2026

23/06/2026

🌈 MEDWAY PRIDE FRINGE IS BACK FOR 2026! 🌈

We're delighted to announce that Medway Pride Fringe returns to Intra from 15–23 August 2026, coordinated by Intra Community Trust!

Join us for a week-long programme of events, activities, arts, culture, heritage and inclusive experiences building up to Medway Pride 2026 at Rochester Castle on Saturday 22 August.

Watch this space for the full Pride Fringe line-up, featuring something for everyone across Intra and the wider Medway community.

Advertising opportunities are available in the Pride Fringe brochure. Please get in touch to find out how you can connect with thousands of visitors and local residents throughout the festival: [email protected]

Medway Pride Fringe has been made possible with funding from Medway Council, allocated through the Medway Together Fund and Chatham Town Centre Forum.

Love Chatham Medway Culture Visit Medway Medway Pride Medway Pride Radio The Ship Inn, Rochester Poco Loco Coyotes Bar and Club Sun Pier House Intra Chatham-Rochester Community Group Intra Pact Intra Arts

23/06/2026

If your garden produces more waste than your standard weekly collection can handle, our Garden Waste Subscription Service is here to help🍃

Subscribe for up to 3 additional brown bins for £40 each, valid 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2027.

Subscribe here👉 https://orlo.uk/55bHX

22/06/2026

Great news!

I'm delighted to share that I have been awarded grant funding through Medway Heritage Place for my project, Patterned Pasts: Reinterpreting The Brook Theatre Through Heritage Surface Design.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is investing up to £200 million in places across the UK to put heritage at the centre of local approaches that improve people’s connection to where they live, work and visit.

Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage.

Patterned Pasts: Reinterpreting The Brook Theatre Through Heritage Surface Design is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to research and celebrate the rich Victorian and Edwardian craftsmanship of The Brook Theatre through illustration, heritage investigation, and hands-on community workshops exploring traditional crafts.

Over the coming months, the project will develop new fabric and wallpaper designs inspired by the theatre's historic interiors, contributing to its ongoing restoration. The project will culminate in a public exhibition during Heritage Open Days 2026 at INTRA ARTS, sharing the creative process and celebrating Medway's remarkable cultural heritage.

A huge thank you to Medway Heritage Place, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and National Lottery players for making this opportunity possible. This is my first funded project, and I'm excited to begin this journey and work with the community to uncover and reinterpret the stories, patterns, and craftsmanship that make The Brook Theatre so special.







Medway Culture

22/06/2026

The Brook Theatre auditorium has many plaster faces that can still be spotted between the scaffold poles and they were joined by some new ones this week, as work on the decorative window plasterwork gets underway. You definitely need a head for heights for this work!

The Brook Theatre is currently closed for restoration, being undertaken for Medway Council by and . The project is supported by UK Government funding, Medway Council and the Future High Streets Fund.
Find out more about The Brook Theatre here https://medwayticketslive.co.uk/info/brook-theatre

16/06/2026

Booking for FREE Brook Theatre, Heritage Open Days hard hat site tours is now open!
Tours take place on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 September
2 tours are available each day at 11.00 & 13.00

Visitors can discover the buildings fascinating history and take a behind the scenes look at discoveries on site and the challenges a restoration of this scale presents to the expert teams leading the work.

Online pre-booking is essential and places are limited. Book your place here:
https://www.medwayticketslive.co.uk/event/Brook-Restoration-Project-Hard-Hat-Tours

· Only suitable for adults and young people aged 11+
· Visitors will be provided with hard hats and PPE.
· All visitors MUST wear flat enclosed footwear, anyone wearing sandals will not be able to take part.
· Access to certain rooms may change as works progress.
· The Brook Theatre is a busy live building site with stairs throughout and new lifts currently under construction but unavailable, so we regret that we are unable to offer any wheelchair access or safely welcome anyone with limited mobility, visual impairment or access needs. The site is also unsuitable for any children under 11.

The Brook Theatre is currently closed for restoration, being undertaken for Medway Council by and . The project is supported by UK Government funding, Medway Council and the Future High Streets Fund.
Find out more about The Brook Theatre here https://medwayticketslive.co.uk/info/brook-theatre

16/06/2026

Volunteer with Whose Hoo

Love history, nature or making a difference in your local community? Whose Hoo Scheme are looking for volunteers to join the Whose Hoo Scheme – a partnership programme helping to celebrate, restore and protect the incredible heritage of the Hoo Peninsula.

Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, there are exciting opportunities to get hands-on with everything from:
• Heritage restoration
• Community beach cleans
• Hedge planting and nature conservation
• Archaeology and surveys
• Research
• Advisory and assessment panels
• Events
• And more

Whether you can give a few hours or get involved regularly, there’s something for everyone – no experience needed, just enthusiasm.

Come and be part of something meaningful, meet new people, and help care for our unique landscape and history.

Get in touch to find out more and start your volunteering journey today!
[email protected] – Team mailbox
[email protected] – Volunteer Coordinator

Click here to find out more about Whose Hoo: https://whosehoo.org.uk/

15/06/2026

Access in Heritage – Cohort Opportunity

Medway Heritage Place are inviting expressions of interest for the Access in Heritage programme, a new initiative supporting heritage organisations across Medway to become more inclusive and accessible.

We’re looking for a diverse cohort of six organisations—including heritage sites, museums, community projects, and tours—who want to improve access for visitors, staff and volunteers, particularly those who are D/deaf, disabled, neurodivergent, or living with long-term health conditions.

What’s included:

Participants will receive a package of tailored support, including:

An access and inclusion training workshop (Successful applicants who have been unable to make the in-person session on Tuesday 16 June will be offered an opportunity to attend an online workshop. Please note, to be accepted onto the cohort you must attend one session.)
A best practice case study day trip
A tailored accessibility audit
Support to develop an access guide
A £500 grant for a ‘quick win’ improvement

No prior experience is needed—just a willingness to learn and make meaningful changes.

Completed expressions of Interest forms must be submitted by Sunday 21 June, 11.59pm.

Click here to find out more and to apply - https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200182/culture_and_heritage/1884/medway_heritage_place_project/5