WATCHET residents and visitors got their first chance to see inside the futuristic £7.3 million East Quay cultural centre at a preview on Monday to coincide with Somerset Arts Week.

A constant flow of visitors explored the ground and first floors of the flagship building including two galleries, artists’ studios, restaurant and courtyard space and visited the project’s first exhibition - More Together Than Alone – which features contributions from the local community.

The official opening of the three-year project, postponed from September 4 by what was described as “labour and supply challenges”, will now take place on Monday, November 20.

In the meantime, the second floor and accommodation pods will remain closed but the rest of the building welcomes visitors and is open daily from 10am-6pm and the restaurant from 8am until late.

Visitors can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner at East Quay Kitchen, an in-house restaurant which has Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired dishes, sitting inside in the restaurant or out in the courtyard, soaking up the atmosphere from the artist studios and watching the boats in the marina.

East Quay will also run year-round events, offering music, theatre performances, art workshops, courses and film nights. Other attractions include a paper mill, a geology workshop, print studio and educational space.

“We’re absolutely delighted the way the East Quay is buzzing after all the years of work and planning,” said Georgie Grant, a director of the Onion Collective, which has masterminded the project.

Full story and two pages of photos in today’s Free Press.