The Park Traces Residency

The Park Traces Student Residency concluded just over a week ago, and it is about time I got around to writing up what happened.

9 students worked with 4 artists, myself, Bethan Lloyd Worthington, Phil Rawle and Andrew Branscombe (who was with us on day one for a GPS session, and the final day to help with install and technical stuff) plus Glen Stoker did a great job of photographic documentation.
We started on Tuesday 28th may, with a series of workshops on Day one and two, designed to help everyone get to know each other at the gallery, and then orient the group around the park.

This included drawing sessions, photowalks, spoken word walks, a reading session led by Bethan, which included texts on Park Design, fiction and architectural texts and various other activities to look at the place, and set the context. We talked about what the role of the Heritage Lottery project might be, and how the park may change. Pauline Withington from the council parks team came along, and gave us a great insight into the processes of change, and was really generous with her time - especially as it was raining!
We also during the week did a session on talking to the public, designing a creative consultation tool to use alongside the developed artworks, hopefully using the works created as a way in to talking to the public about the future of the park.
The 9 students had support from the artists to develop their ideas, and had to very quickly come up with plans to intervene.

The Saturday saw us meeting up bright and early in the park to install the works, and get ready for the day ahead. The sun was out, and everyone was armed with the consultation tools to start conversations with the public.
The Projects:

The above map shows the locations of the 11 artworks produced, and the page below the details given out to the public, to help them locate and find out about the works.

Details of a few of the works: Dan Hayes created a 'Beacon of Hope' which was a sculptural piece, photographed in various locations around the park, bringing light and hope to otherwise forgotten areas.

The sculptural piece was exhibited on the day, unplugged, alongside images of the lit up beacons, talking about the current wasted potential in the park,

but looking to a future where light is brought back into this wonderful space.

Next, we saw Phil Rawle picking up on the various staircases in the park, which make it more difficult, for wheelchair users and parents with buggies.

Phil drew out a technical drawing of a staircase on the ground in chalk, also referencing the stages of development needed to see the park back to its former glory.

Charlotte Howell, was interested in drawing attention to some of the really beautiful features that can be easily overlooked in the park, and created a Heritage Treasure trail.

This piece did a fantastic job of getting the public exploring the park differently, and was particularly popular with the younger park users, and their families.

Sophie Henshaw created a fairy garden from a particularly wild part of the Park. 

A proposition for a wild flower patch on the left, and a flower potting activity were designed to keep younger park users entertained, and as a way of starting a conversation about the importance of green spaces.

The piece that I worked on involved the use of a motif that I have been developing lately, Buddleia.

The plant is able to find even the smallest piece of fertile ground and bloom there, and I am using it as a metaphor for the way that artists maximise all potential, in the most unlikely places, and make creative statements. One of the things that my practice tends to pick up on, is gaps.

One of the glaring gaps for me, in the park as it is today, is in the amenities and facilities for park users.

Toilets in particular are an issue, as the toilets are often closed, and when open, they are in a pretty bad state. I decided that 'every bog should have its day' and decided to clean up the ladies, and make them pleasant for the day of Park Traces.

This intervention would be flagged by the Buddleia on the ladies toilet sign, which we also cleaned and painted up.
Bethan Lloyd Worthington became interested in the bowling pavilion block (now unused apart from the toilets) as this was one of the buildings that Pauline mentioned they may wish to get rid of. This sparked lots of conversation around the value placed on heritage buildings, if it is more than 100 years old it must be kept, but anything since the 50s needs to be knocked down. Will this be something we will live to regret?
Each of the participating artists have been invited to write up their experiences, so see other posts for details.