International festival, 51zero, brings together established and emerging artists, students, graduates, curators and critics for a week-long celebration, from Friday 27 October to Thursday 2 November in Rochester and Chatham.

51zero, which takes its name from the geographical coordinates of Medway, focuses international collaboration, artistic production and exhibition of film, video and digital art. Working from within Medway, 51zero partners with cultural organisations in the UK and overseas to commission, curate and present contemporary moving image work.

The programme features contemporary artists and established musicians, alongside emerging practitioners and students from the School of Music and Fine Art.

The festival opens on Friday 27 October with an eclectic evening of silent short films, animations and heritage moving-image, screened alongside live music performances at Rochester Cathedral.

Events continue at the Cathedral Crypt and the Guildhall Museum presents exhibitions, installations, participatory performances and a strand curated by students of the University of Kent, until the following Thursday.

On Thursday 2 November, a final showcase of films by emerging artists, as part of Open Projector, will be hosted by the University of Kent, as well as a final discussion forum, bringing together a mix of international and emerging artists, local students and graduates, curators, critics and musicians.

Open Projector takes place in The Royal Dockyard Church, 17.00 – 18.30, providing an important opportunity for emerging artists, graduates, and students to screen and discuss their work in a peer group environment. The public is invited to participate in this closing strand of the festival, which will precede a closing discussion forum, accompanied by a communal supper from 18.30 – 21.30

All events are FREE and open to all. Find out more