Field | Art Projects

07 | 04 | 2016

Bristol Arena gets the green light

Bristol City Council’s Development Control Committee has given the go ahead for the 12,000 capacity Bristol Arena and approved outline plans for the rest of Arena Island.

Both applications received unanimous support, a detailed planning application for the arena building with a public plaza, and an outline application for the future development of housing, business and leisure uses close to the venue.

Field Art Projects are advising the design team for the arena on the public art strategy for the Bristol Arena and Arena Island and will be delivering the public art programme for Bristol Arena. 

The new venue is due to be located on the derelict former diesel depot site, close to Temple Meads station.

The Bristol Arena is a flexible indoor venue with spaces for public exhibitions, fashion shows and conferences, and is able to accommodate from 4,500 theatre-goers to 12,000 live music fans.

The design team consists of entertainment and sports designer firm Populous, with Stirling Prize architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, BuroHappold Engineering and sound specialists Vanguard.

18 | 03 | 2016

Murdered with Straight Lines, Drawings of Bristol by Garth England

I’m really delighted to receive a preview copy of Murdered with Straight Lines, a book of drawings by Garth England.  We met Garth whilst researching the Future Perfect art programme.  Garth had spent almost all of his seventy-nine years living in neighbourhoods in south Bristol: Knowle West, Hengrove, Totterdown and Bedminster.  The jobs he held throughout his life - paperboy, telegram boy, milkman and railway man - gave him a deep understanding of the rhythm, architecture and people of this part of Bristol.  The book is made up of exquisitely detailed drawings by Garth of different stages of his life.  It includes an essay by my co-curator Jes Fernie, was beautifully designed by Polimekanos and is published by Redcliffe Press.  Look out for copies later in April!

11 | 12 | 2015

Future Perfect plant David Thorpe’s Orchard on Whitchurch Village Green

On 26 November Future Perfect were joined by Grand Design’s Kevin McCloud to plant David Thorpe’s unique tree ‘cathedral’ as part of Bristol’s One Tree Per Child.  The Orchard was proposed by artist David Thorpe after discussions with local residents and features 47 different varieties of locally sourced fruit trees.  It will be a ‘living’ meeting place and the trees and fruit will belong to and be enjoyed by local residents.  We are particularly pleased the orchard is on Whitchurch Village Green, an important area of green space that has been ‘preserved’ through the action and interest of local residents.

22 | 11 | 2015

Future Perfect plant a new Orchard in Hengrove

As part of Future Perfect, artist David Thorpe proposed a new orchard be planted in Hengrove & Whitchurch in the plan of a Cathedral.  The orchard will feature 47 fruit trees including pear, cherry and plum as well as cider, desert, crab and cooking apples.  Once grown, the orchard will become a unique community meeting place as well as providing an abundance of free food for local residents.

The orchard will be planted in partnership with Bristol City Council’s One Tree Per Child programme, a mayoral initiative to plant 36,000 trees to mark the city’s status as European Green Capital 2015.  As the trees are planted it will give everyone, particularly the city’s children, a stake in the future of their local environment and an opportunity to grow free food.

Join us on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 November between 10am and 3pm to help plant the trees and learn more about the new orchard.  Come to Whitchurch Village Green, off Oatlands Avenue BS14.  All welcome, please wear waterproof boots or wellies.

06 | 10 | 2015

Commission Panel Roots & Wings, Art for Hull

Theresa Bergne has been invited to join the commissioning panel for Roots & Wings, Art for Hull, an ambitious ten year programme of cultural transformation, by, for and with the people of Hull.  Focussing on the least engaged, and with the highest cultural aspirations, Roots & Wings seek to achieve no less than a new blueprint for a truly people-led, city-wide arts offer, offering enrichment, participation, challenge, personal and professional development, within a dynamic and sustainable cultural economy.

Roots and Wings is Hull’s Creative People and Places programme, funded through Arts Council of England.

For further information go to Roots & Wings, Art for Hull website.