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ARTS STRATEGY FOR PLECKGATE SCHOOLSTAGE 4

PREPARED BY AMENITY SPACEWWW.AMENITYSPACE.CO.UK

May 2011

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Public Art ProposalsEmbedding community art into the landscape

The new artworks proposed for Pleckgate School will explorehow the community relate to the landscape of past andpresent and how it evokes memories. The artworks will beintegrated within the landscape and building to create anoverall piece that responds to the unique setting and iscontributed to by the local community.

Proposed pieces:

Think Tank

Strata Walk Pleckgate Places Well Trodden Ground Forgotten Roots

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Think Tank

In order to create a boldstatement that reaches out to the

community we proposed toilluminate the winter garden roofwith colour changing lights. Thesewill make the roof glow like abeacon and will be visible formiles around.

The lights will be linked to abespoke software programme thatis designed to respond to the

school, community and culturalcalendars.

The lights will be tied into thesurrounding landscape and relateto site history.

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Think Tank: Blackburn Pier

Above the school is the site ofRevidge Tankaka Blackburn

Pier.

This tank was a major locallandmark that provided water tothe surrounding homes and theschool. This project remembersthe tank and celebrates itsimportance.

The illuminated roof is the same

volume of the tank and willripple like water. The more theschool is used the more it willripple.

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Strata: Layers of time and material

Materials and forms will bedrawn directly from the history

and geology of the site.

The school sits in a valley formedby ancient glacial activity andthe terrain is built up from avariety of mineral deposits.

These layers of strata arerevealed in the deep cut thatslices down from the rear of the

school to the stream below.

We feel these material should bethe basis of physical works in thelandscape and are an inspirationfor textures and forms

Concept sketches of the local rock formations

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Strata: Physical representation

Images of the layered gabion wall to the rear of the school. Currently on site.

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Walk Pleckgate: Community knowledge

Pete is our friend on Facebook. Heis an ex-student of Pleckgate and

has lots of stories about the area.Here he is talking about the viewfrom the Revidge Tank.

During our public engagementsessions we will be asking residentsand people associated with thearea to talk about there memoriesof local places that are importantto them.

The aim is to build a map of all theplaces around Pleckgate that havea relevanceno matter how big orsmall.

Please feel free to become ourfriend on Facebookwww.facebook.com/pleckgate.arts

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Walk Pleckgate: Following in the footsteps.

On 21st May 2011 we will beholding two walks around

Pleckgate.

These will visit places that areinterest and surprise. Many ofthese places have been pointed outto us by local people.

The walks will be recorded andedited into a short film. This willbe posted online atwww.pleckgateartscommunity.organd will be played in the schoolreception and/or dining area at keypoints of the day.

A. Wainwright was from Blackburn

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Places: Integrating community knowledge into the art

Once we have built up a mapof all the places that are

important we can then startto use that to inform theartwork.

This will take the form of aview diagram inlayed into thelandscape. This would give afocal point for the work and agathering place for peopleusing the space.

The places listed on thediagram should be varied andwithout prejudice. As aglimpse of the bus shelterwhere you had your first kisscan evoke warmer feelingsthan a view of the Pennines.

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Places: Local inspiration

Inspirational images:A view diagram by A. WainwrightleftThe view diagram on the site of Revidge Tankabove

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Well Trodden Ground: A starting point for exploration

Using the stories and memoriesof the community as a starting

point the landscape art aims toencourage people to explorethe area.

As much as the new school is acommunity hub and destinationplace, it could also be a point ofdeparture. This new publicpark should engage with thewider community and point toforgotten places aroundPleckgate that are worthexploring.

Here we have used Petes storyas inspiration. His words areinlayed into the ground alongwith a map showing a route upto Revidge Tank allowing theuser to retrace his steps. Theground surface could be made

from materials sourced fromwhere the Tank once stood.

Concept sketch showing how the earth andmemories are built up in layers; and how thecontouring of a plan relates to the crosssectional structure of the landscape.

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Well Trodden Ground: Rammed earth

We are working with Plinke toconstruct areas, seating andplanters from rammed earth.

These elements will be made fromthe earth dug out from under theexisting school. New structuresrising form the old.

By gathering earth from variousparts of the site and layering it ininteresting ways, we will createpatterns within the structures.These will be unique to the school.

This project could allow the localcommunity to get involved in thebuilding process.

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As the earth is layered we will invite members of the communityto bury personal objects. These may be old school books, mathsequipment or bits of the old building. These will form a layers ofmemories that reflects the areas heritage.

Well Trodden Ground: Hidden messages

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Forgotten Roots: Ephemeral wayfinding

The Pleckgate site is unique inthat it has numerous public

footpaths running through it.

These routes are often under-defined and under-used. Thepathways around the footballpitches for example lead to aprotected wild plant habit thatis a great local resource.

By defining these routes wefeel it would enhance the areaand encourage use. They couldbe marked in quite a delicateway. Maybe the communitycould plant bulbs along theside of the paths. And theneach spring the routes wouldburst into life with a flurry ofcolour.

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This project allows the community and school to work together to have a meaningful contribution tothe area. The planting scheme could tie in with The Big Bulb Plant which encourages communities toget together and improve their landscape. This happens each September.

http://thebigbulbplant.com

Forgotten Roots: Community planting