About the project​
This project is a collaboration between the Centre for Kent History and Heritage at Canterbury Christ Church University and ARK, Cliftonville's Cultural Space, founded in 2021 and located in the former Margate Synagogue. The project is funded by Canterbury Christ Church University and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
About the team
Katie Blythe - Researcher and Writer
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Katie Blythe is a social historian and community researcher from Ramsgate specialising in the history of Thanet’s Jewish community. She is the founder of Jewish History Thanet, delivering events and heritage walking tours that explore the region’s past through accessible, research-led storytelling. Her work examines Jewish life across Thanet, from migration and tourism to religious practice and community identity, drawing on archival research, genealogy, oral histories, and the built environment. Katie is a Senior Research Fellow on the Jewish Heritage of East Kent project at Canterbury Christ Church University, and has worked on the Jewish Heritage of Cliftonville West project. She was also the lead researcher and exhibition coordinator for Cliftonville Voices (2022), alongside wider community and outreach work with ARK, POW Thanet, Looping the Loop, The Margate School, and Pie Factory.
Nathan Jones - Website Designer
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Nathan is a digital and graphic artist with extensive experience of creating visuals for a range of arts projects regionally, nationally and internationally. He has been part of the ARK team since the beginning, creating films and projections for Cliftonville Lights and the Cliftonville Voices exhibition, as well as creating ARK's website and print.​ His work has featured on BBC interactive, at the Royal Court Theatre, Birmingham Rep, London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Tate Modern, Turner Contemporary, Rome Colosseum and numerous performance venues, music festivals and clubs in Europe and South Africa.
Maria Diemling - Academic Lead
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Maria is a Reader in Jewish-Christian Relations at Canterbury Christ Church University where she teaches Jewish and Religious Studies. She studied History and Jewish Studies in Vienna and Jerusalem and has worked on many Jewish projects in archives, museums, libraries and universities in Austria, Israel, Ireland and the UK. Maria is particularly interested in Jewish identity, culture and memory, including food and religious conversion, and has published widely on these subjects.
Jan Ryan - Director and Co-founder of ARK
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Jan is a creative producer and festival director with more than 45 years’ experience of presenting work that is diverse, inclusive and socially engaged. Her company, UK Arts International (1992 - 2022), worked with venues from village halls to the West End, collaborating with organisations such as the Barbican in London, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and the Market Theatre of Johannesburg. On moving to Margate in 2014, her focus has been on supporting and developing locally based creatives. She co-founded and led the Power Of Women festival until 2020 and in 2024 was awarded a Senior Fellowship in Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy by the University of Leeds.