Might be of interest to those of you who attended our last CCT seaside cultures event at the Railway. This is a UEL/Essex County Council free conference on issues related to seaside cultures on North Essex coast.
Resorting to the Coast: Valuing the Past to Shape the Future
UEL, Essex County Council and the Cultural Engine social enterprise based in South Essex are co-organising this all day conference as part of Resorting to the Coast, a Heritage Lottery Funded and Essex County Council project, supported by Tendring District Council.
About the Conference
Date: Friday 27th April 2018
Time: 10.30am to 4.30pm
Venue: Columbine Centre, Columbine Centre, Princes Esplanade, Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex. CO14 8PZ
‘Resorting to the coast’ has been a national pastime since the Victorian period, evolving to address demographic changes, greater mobility, fluctuating levels of prosperity and competing leisure activities. The conference will look at the current issues in the national debate around seaside coastal resorts in relation to promoting their often unsung heritage. Specifically, our focus will be on the Tendring coastal resorts of Dovercourt, Walton, Frinton, Clacton and Jaywick Sands. Local history groups associated with these resorts are heavily involved in archiving and promoting their seaside heritage, but we ask whether this valued work is sufficient to attract new visitors? In a world of uneven development, how does a resort set itself apart from the competition? How do you unite as a coastal region when the reality is you’re in competition with each other? Can lessons be drawn from the past in order to resuscitate the ‘Great British Seaside Holiday’ as an object of desire, or is it time to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch?
Confirmed Speakers, guests and activities include:
Dr Tony Lidington (Keynote speaker)
Dr Kathryn Ferry (Historian)
Dr Toby Butler (Historian)
Dr Daniel Burdsey (University of Brighton)
Dr Tim Gale (University of Bournemouth)
Joanne O’Connor (Journalist)
Tim Burrows (Journalist)
Club Critical Theory (University of East London)
Harwich Society
Clacton & Local District History Society
Frinton & Walton Heritage Trust
History Fair
Cinema screenings
‘Curator’s corner – ask an expert
Tickets: Free but reservation bookings via eventbrite are essential
Travel: Hourly trains from London Liverpool Street to Walton-on-the Naze
Buffet lunch and refreshments provided on the day, but please state any food allergies, vegetarian or vegan requirements clearly on your booking form (next to your name)
Links: Resorting to the Coast Website
Conference Organisers:
RTTC Project Lead: Juliana Vandegrift (Essex County Council)
UEL Project Lead: Dr Tony Sampson t.d.sampson@uel.ac.uk
Organising Committee Members
Dr Toby Butler
Dr Andrew Branch (UEL)
Giles Tofield and Peter Vadden (Cultural Engine social enterprise)
Project Team
Social Media: Katie Holland (UEL)
Programme Co-ordinators: Rebecca Gilchrist and Jessica Currie (UEL)
Conference Activities and Events Management: Naomi Nanor and Amy Marks (UEL)
Graphic Design: Laetitia Zanga (UEL)
Community Engagement Initiative 
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