FrancisKnight

Name: FrancisKnight
Address: The Business Terrace, King Street, Maidstone, ME156AW, GB
Telephone: 07956 437242/07855 180004
Price range: $$

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FrancisKnight

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Arts consultants, public art commissioners & project managers delivering temporary & permanent work in the public realm. Two busy Pisceans who love their job.

FrancisKnight is an independent public art consultancy commissioning artists in the public realm. Public art compliments, integrates and adds value within a regeneration or development scheme. From the development of ideas to the selection of artists we help you realise inspirational public art projects that inspire vibrant communities and places. FrancisKnight supports clients throughout the commissioning process, project managing high quality artwork and community engagement programmes.

05/10/2026

We'd like you to help shape Valley Park! 🎨

Artists-in-Residence Smith and Rob Young would love to meet local residents, hear your ideas and chat about what you'd like to see at Valley Park.

Pop in to the Persimmon Homes Show Home on Eskdale Drive on Saturday 17 or Sunday 18 October. There'll be plenty of opportunity to share your ideas, plus a FREE drop-in activity where kids can make their own model hedgehog to take home.

Everyone welcome. Come and say hello! 👋🦔

03/06/2026

Our latest newsletter is now out! 💥

This month, we're exploring how public art can contribute to the circular economy through our new Sustainable Public Art collaboration with KaNect Limited, challenging the idea that public art should only be considered after key planning and design decisions have been made.

We're also sharing updates from projects across Kent, including:

🌿 The latest installation in julia Clarke's EXPLORE series at Conningbrook Lakes

🌳 Community engagement activities and artist-led placemaking at Crown Hill View

Whether you're a developer, local authority, architect, artist or placemaking professional, we hope you'll find something of interest.

🔗 Read more 👉 link in bio!

01/06/2026

🎨 Public Art Opportunity | Herne Bay

We are pleased to share a new public art commission on behalf of Canterbury City Council.

This opportunity invites an artist or artist collective to create a distinctive, site-specific artwork for Herne Bay promenade, helping to strengthen the connection between the local community, landscape and visitor experience.

📍 Herne Bay Promenade

📅 Deadline: Midnight, Monday 29 June 2026

💰 Artist Fee: £12,000
(inclusive of artist fee, community engagement, materials and installation)

The panel is particularly keen to hear from artists with a strong track record and a connection to East Kent, including those who live, work or have studied locally.

Community engagement is a key part of this commission.

⚠️ Before applying, please read the full brief carefully. Applications will be assessed against the published selection criteria and must follow the application process outlined in the brief.

Questions regarding this opportunity should be directed to [email protected].

🔗 Download the full brief via the link in our bio.

31/03/2026

Took a lovely break from the office to indulge in some art today. First stop was Timber Square, Lavington Street, London, SE1 to see ’s latest piece, Seedlinks. Can't reveal too much just yet but you can see an exhibition of her work at 5 Howick Place. Meeting Clare was fantastic, and hearing about her creative process was truly inspiring. Then, we took a leisurely walk through Green Park to the for the Rose Wylie exhibition. Rose's use of text, drawing and painting to comment on everyday life and popular culture is both witty and vibrant. We've always been fans of her work. At 92, she's a legend, and her success is well-deserved.

17/10/2025

Great day out in Folkestone today, taking in the guided by the most excellent & knowledgeable Thank you Jonathan!

Credit to Curator Sorcha Carey on a high quality, thoughtful and accessible Triennial. There is something for everyone.

It finishes this Sunday 19th October, so if you get a chance, go visit! Our favourite included Dorothy Cross, Katie Paterson, Sara Trillo & Hanna Tuulikki

Photo 1: Dorothy Cross: Red Erratic
Photo 2: Emilija Škarnulytė: Burial Photo 3: Emeka Ogboh: Ode to the Channel Photo 4: Katie Paterson: Afterlife Photo 5: Jennifer Tree: Oceans Tree of Life Photo 6: Cooking Sections: Ministry of Sewers Photo 7: Sara Trillo: Urn Field

31/07/2025

Second workshop led by artist for a group of young people as part of the Alkerden Hub commission. Commissioned by Eastern Quarry Limited, Jo is creating a new public artwork for the foyer area of the Hub. The surrounding chalk landscape was the main source of inspiration and the workshop explored art and geology with large scale drawings, mark making & painting. Great work! Thanks to

05/07/2025

Great first night production of Twelfth Night by Theatre at Boughton Monchelsea Place last night. Congratulations , cast & crew. A beautiful evening of Outdoor Shakespeare, music & laughter. If you get a chance catch the Summer Tour in beautiful venues across the Sourh East. 🎶🎭🎪

08/05/2025

🎉Artist Opportunity 🎉

FrancisKnight is inviting expressions of interest from artists with a strong interest in sustainable practice, material reuse, and collaborative making to participate in a new pilot project: Sustainable Public Art. 🌱

We are looking for an artist who:

Has an interest in or established sustainable and environmentally responsible practice
Enjoys collaborative working and interdisciplinary dialogue
Is excited by the creative potential of waste or salvaged materials
Has experience in public art, socially engaged practice, or site-responsive work
Can communicate ideas clearly through drawings, models, or prototypes
Can contribute to research, workshops, and development meetings
Location: To be confirmed
Project Duration: 6 months, starting October 2025
Fee: To be confirmed, in line with Artist Union Rates, including research, concept development, and workshop time

How to Apply

Please submit:

A short statement (max. 450 words) outlining your interest in the opportunity and relevant experience

Up to 6 images/examples of previous work or links to your website/online portfolio (including any material reuse or sustainable practice, if applicable)

A current CV or biography

Deadline: 9am Monday 19th May 2025.
Submit to: [email protected]

Shortlisted artists will be invited for a short informal conversation with the project team.

Link in bio⬆ https://francisknight.co.uk/opportunities/

28/03/2025

This week, our post comes from The Hague. We’ve taken some time out of the office and the UK to visit two artists we’ve been working with over the past 3 and half years. and .mollett are collaborating on a ceramic tiled commission for the Pumping Station, Chatham. Jose has a studio in The Hague while Nicole is a Kent based artist. Nicole has been working at Jose’s studio and together they will be hand painting 1000 tiles in total. Their artwork is rich in imagery, history, myth and rooted in research.

Our visit this week has brought us back to the ‘why’ we have chosen to do what we do. It has reminded us of our work as public art consultants and why it’s so inspirational to spend time with artists and talk about their process. This commission has taken a long time in development, but it has given both Nicole and Jose the space and time to develop their thinking.

Sometimes, the creative process gets lost in the commissioning. Timelines shorten or extend; people come and go over the lifetime of a project and we all flex and bend to accommodate the changes. But for the past few days we have rediscovered the passion that drives our business and that we should not forget the ‘why’

And today we joined them in the studio to see some tiles fresh from the kiln……..
Sound on 🔉 for the 2nd image, listen 🎧 as the tiles start to cool down.

31/01/2025

✨ Finding joy, daily rituals and comfort in January ✨

January is such a long cold month; it can be a quiet month for FrancisKnight, allowing us time to get our house in order, update our goals and review our plans for the year ahead. Important stuff for a small business. Time also to find little nuggets of joy in our day. Find out what we've been up to.... ⏩ link in bio Image description: collage of photos featuring three distinct sections:

Top section: A tranquil beach scene with a calm, pale blue sea extending toward the horizon under a cloudy sky.
Bottom left section: A collection of green sticky notes arranged on a tabletop, containing handwritten keywords and phrases such as "People," "Connection," "Artists," and "Curate Spaces".
Bottom right section: A workspace featuring an computer. In front of the computer, a content orange tabby cat naps on the desk, basking in sunlight.

Address

The Business Terrace, King Street
Maidstone
ME156AW

Telephone

07956 437242/07855 180004

Website

http://www.francisknight.co.uk/

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