Chance to contribute to new public artwork for Blackberry Park at Coalpit Heath
Members of the public are invited to get involved in the creation of a new artwork for Blackberry Park, a new housing development at Coalpit Heath, just north of Bristol.
Leading housebuilder Barratt Homes is creating 204 two, three, four and five-bedroom homes as part of the new community at Blackberry Park with the first residents having moved in last year. The public artwork will encompass a new circular seat, using the natural contours of the land to create a resting spot near the new play area.
The free workshop on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th June in Yate offers people the opportunity to make a ceramic tile to be included in the artwork, named Blackberry Scratch. Artists Adam Blencowe and Thor te Kulve will lead groups of up to 8 participants in a two-hour class to individually produce clay tiles by hand. Once fired, these textured ceramic tiles will form the surface of the artwork.
Andrea Pilgrim, sales director at Barratt Homes’ Bristol division, which covers the wider region, said: “We are delighted that members of the local community have the chance to get involved in the creation of this new piece of artwork that responds to the industrial heritage of the local area. It’s exciting to see this new neighbourhood emerging with over 40 residents already living there and we look forward to welcoming more people to the community over the coming months.”
The shape of the artwork references the drumlins which often occur in areas where mining has historically taken place. Following a meeting with a member of the South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group, the artists named the project Blackberry Scratch after the technique of mining coal simply by scratching away the surface; this method was used locally around Coalpit Heath.
Blackberry Park, which is set within 22 acres of open space, will include solar panels on selected homes and provision for electric car charging points for all houses. Barratt Homes is making a contribution worth £739,000 in total towards wider community improvements including outdoor sports facilities, allotments and recreational open space, as well as highways improvements such as investment in a new cycle path. The artwork is funded by the housebuilder as part of the Section 106 planning requirement and will be installed later this year.
In addition, Barratt Homes recently made a donation to fund resources for an outdoor construction-themed play area created at Watermore Primary School, not far from Blackberry Park. Resources purchased include large wooden balance scales for the children to practise weighing, a child’s wheelbarrow, buckets and spades.
All are welcome to attend the creative art workshop but children must be accompanied by an adult and tickets must be pre-booked by clicking here. It will take place at Fired Up Ceramics Studio, Unit 54, Beeches Industrial Estate, Waverley Road, Yate.
To find out more about the new homes, visit www.barratthomes.co.uk or call 0333 3558 490. A flythrough of the new development can be seen here.
