Outdoor art on the fence of this venue welcomes viewers into the Perks the Porter festival hub. This is the northern end of the festival trail.

Perks is a character made famous by Bernard Cribben’s portrayal of the character in the 1970s film, The Railway Children. In E. Nesbit’s book, Perks is a wisdom-giver, offering insights on growing flowers as well as the workings of the railway station.

Artist Yasmin Aishah focuses on the many flowers mentioned in the book. Free family activities include a collage party hat activity focusing on the chapter in which Perk’s birthday is celebrated.

Musician Sam Brown offers musical activities responding to themes in the book in the space hosting the Emotional Landscapes exhibition created by the Four Courts communities and Stitch tlc community.

The accompanying video installation, Wisdoms, has been created by filmmaker Rod Morris working with ExploreTheArch and the Four Courts community over several months, supported by Making It Happen funding through Hastings Voluntary Action.