Where public art could be installed disclosed as new city strategy is approved
Public art could be installed at several places across Gloucester as city chiefs have approved a new strategy.
King’s Square, The Cross and Barbican Road to The Docks junction have been identified as key areas which would benefit from new installations.
The strategy suggests an iconic entrance feature could be installed as a gateway to the East entrance of the square.
There is an opportunity to make the Postern Gate more visible to the public, to highlight that the highly used visitor entrance to King’s Square was once the secret entrance to the Roman fortifications which initially established the city.
The College Street, Berkeley Street and Barbican Road could also become a linear trail featuring pieces of various sizes, scales, and media.
This could involve installing works on nearby buildings, integrating them into landscaping, or siting permanent sculptures along it and light-based artworks could highlight architectural details after dark.
And the Barbican Road junction with The Docks could support an iconic entrance feature to solidify its importance as a node and act as a counterpart to ‘The Candle’, the 21m high sculpture in The Docks.
Proposals could include large scale dramatic hard landscaping interventions, incorporating metal and subtle lighting to create reference to the complex docks railway tracks.
This could also assist with wayfinding for visitors to the docks. The proximity and connection to the River Severn could be highlighted and celebrated with visitors being encouraged to explore the docks and shipping canal further.
The report also sas The Cross could host a range of emporary projects to showcase Gloucester’s creativity and commitment to the arts.
However, due to its location and historic significance, potential permanent works may conflict with the conservation or access needs of the site.
Culture and Leisure cabinet member Caroline Courtney (LD, Tuffley) presented the report at this week’s Gloucester City Council cabinet meeting.
She said it delivers on their plans to reimagine their approach towards the delivery of public art.
Community, education and culture representatives have been consulted over the strategy which highlights the priorities for public art.
“The objectives of public art are to inspire and instil pride in our residents, to attract visitors and businesses to the city, to express ourselves and to tell our story and sometimes our hidden stories, and to shape our future and look and feel of the city” she said.
The council will be one of the partners in delivering the strategy along with University of Gloucestershire and Gloucester Culture Trust.
There will be an externally funded public art director overseeing the proposals.
She said the strategy emphasises the need for strong engagement with city residents and local artists.
The strategy also includes a public art toolkit which provides information and contacts for anyone wishing to take on a public art project.
It also proposes reusing existing public art in Gloucester such as the British Home Stores reliefs which are currently in storage.
These could be installed as part of the Greyfriars redevelopment project.
“This isn’t just an aspirational strategy,” Cllr Courtney said.
“It’s something that has a real practical and tangible content and it sets out what steps we need to make our ambitions for public art a reality.
“It’s not going to sit on a shelf and talk about what we would do if only we had the chance.
“It gives us some real positive steps we can take.”