Arts Development

Public Art in Bath and North East Somerset  

1. How does Bath and North East Somerset Council – and its Arts Development team - engage with public art?

‘Public art’ is taken by B&NES Council to mean art that is commissioned for, and sited in, non-gallery spaces. It can be in a variety of media and include temporary work.

Commissioning of public art is most often undertaken by commercial developers building in the local authority area. Commissioning usually results from a ‘Section 106’ agreement, whereby the Council gives permission for development to take place on condition that certain community benefits are provided by the developer. The provision of works or schemes of public art is one such benefit that may be agreed with a developer.

Sometimes public art commissioning develops as a result of smaller development or improvement schemes undertaken by the Council itself (as was the case with the Walcot Street scheme – see below), or by other organisations working in partnership with the Council. Such schemes may arise from identification of a site that would benefit from improvements, or the desire to mark or commemorate something.
 
The Arts Development team does not independently initiate or commission public art works or schemes. Its role is to provide expert advice to the developer or other partner on behalf of the Council. In most cases, the Senior Arts Development Officer works alongside the Senior Urban Designer (Design & Landscape Team, Planning & Transport Development) in order to ensure that the proposed works or scheme are consistent with both Arts Development and Design & Landscape aims and objectives.

Advice provided by Arts Development includes:

• realistic budgeting;
• project management options;
• commissioning options;
• good practice for public consultation.

In cases where a developer appoints a specialist public art agency or project manager, Arts Development provides information and support to the agency or project manager to enable them to liaise effectively with different Council departments.

3. Public art in Bath and North East Somerset - Current projects

Walcot Street Artworks

Public realm improvement scheme

Developer – Bath and North East Somerset Council
Project management – John Brady on behalf of the Arts Development team

Scheme details
Planned scheme of improvement to public realm in Walcot Street, Bath, with the intended benefit of encouraging pedestrian footfall up Walcot Street from the city centre shopping area. The Council wishes to promote the distinctive identity of Walcot Street as a destination shopping street, so that the many independent retailers and traders in the street benefit from visitor and tourist activity. The scheme was first initiated in 1997 and has benefited from substantial Lottery funding and corporate donations.

Works already completed
Restoration and conservation of Ladymead Fountain
Victorian horse trough
Cycle racks
Bollards
Beehive Yard gates
Old Orchard archway

Works in completion
Offspring by William Pye (in place but still undergoing final testing)
Waterball by William Pye (subject to successful planning permission)

Learn more about Walcot Street here:
web.mac.com/ardentart/iWeb/walcotstreet/walcot.html

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Southgate development

Developer – Multi
Architects – Chapman Taylor
Artist - Janet Hodgson
Project management – Insite Arts on behalf of Multi

Scheme details
New retail development on the site of the previous Southgate shopping centre in Bath and including public transport hub and some residential development at upper level. Insite Arts are about to confirm the commissioned artist.

Learn more about the Southgate development here:
www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/environmentandplanning/majordevelopments/southgateproject

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Combe Down Stone Mines Land Stabilisation Project

Following a major engineering scheme to stabilise and in-fill the Combe Down Stone Mines, public art will be commissioned to mark the end of the project, to commemorate the history of the mines, and to enhance the local distinctiveness of the site and the village of Combe Down.

Developer – English Partnerships with Bath and North East Somerset Council
Project management – Steve Geliot and Frances Lord on behalf of Bath and North East Somerset Council

Scheme details
Steve Geliot (www.stevegeliot.com) and Frances Lord (www.franceslord.com) commenced public consultation with Combe Down residents in July 2008.

Learn more about the Combe Down Stone Mines Land Stabilisation Project here:
www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/environmentandplanning/majordevelopments/combedownstonemines

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Kennet & Avon Canal Bicentenary 

200th anniversary of the opening of the canal in 2010

Developer – British Waterways with Kennet & Avon Canal Trust
Project management - tbc

Scheme details
British Waterways wish to commission an artist to produce two ‘gateway’ pieces at each end of the canal – Reading and Bath (Widcombe). The precise location of the Bath piece has not yet been agreed and will be subject to public consultation and planning permission.

Learn more about the Kennet & Avon canal here:
www.waterscape.com/canals-and-rivers/kennet-and-avon-canal
and
www.katrust.org

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Cotswold Way

Way marker to denote the start/end of the Cotswold Way by Bath Abbey

Developer – Cotswold Way National Trail Team with Bath and North East Somerset Council
Project management - tbc

Scheme details
The Cotswold Way National Trail Team wish to commission a piece to mark the start/end of the Cotswold Way long distance footpath by Bath Abbey.  Currently this project is in development.

Learn more about the Cotswold Way National Trail here:
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/Cotswold

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King Bladud’s Pigs in Bath

Temporary public art project during 2008, on the theme of the Bath legend of ‘King Bladud’s Pigs’

Promotion and project management – King Bladud’s Pigs team:  info@kingbladudspigs.org

Scheme details
King Bladud’s Pigs in Bath was a summer 2008 public art event to celebrate Bath, its origins and its artists and provide residents and visitors with some artistic enjoyment. One hundred life-size pig sculptures turned into works of art were on display throughout the summer all around Bath and beyond. They were gathered in at the end of September and auctioned off in October for the benefit of the Two Tunnels Project.

Learn more about the King Bladud’s Pigs project here:
www.kingbladudspigs.org/index.html
Learn more about the Two Tunnels Project here:
www.twotunnels.org.uk