PASW Regional Newsletter: Autumn 2002
Public Art, Bristol
city centre < legible city > outer neighbourhoods
Bristol City Council has recently published a new book to encourage the commissioning of public art in the city centre and outer neighbourhoods of Bristol. The book acknowledges good practice and demonstration projects by a number of organisations and aims to profile Bristol's emerging Public Art Strategy. The strategy places public art within : the planning and development process; complementary to good urban and building design; integral within major new development schemes; as part of social investment in new and refurbished housing; improvements to open public space; arts and health initiatives; and towards creative and neighbourhood renewal.
The strategy acknowledges wide consultation with artists, planners, architects, key service providers of Bristol City Council, arts venues and other organisations. A successful Call to Artists campaign (no closing date) enables the City Council to expand its database of artists interested in working to commission within architecture, transport and public realm information and identity projects. An enhanced Public Art Policy and revised statements within the Bristol Local Plan aims to embed public art in key renewal projects to promote city and neighbourhood identity in the future.
Whilst permanent public art is encouraged as an integral 'material consideration' of high quality urban design, the City Council is keen to promote through Bristol Legible City the role that temporary commissions can play in engaging people with the social, cultural and physical characteristics of the existing public realm. A series of performance and visual arts interventions are currently being developed by artists and will be located along the main pedestrian route that links Bristol's three city centre regeneration areas. The commissions will take place during the next twelve months.
For further information, contact:
Senior Public Art Officer: [email protected], tel: 0117 922 3466
Art Project Manager: [email protected] tel: 0117 922 3064