Making the Big Art 'Dream' a Reality
(For a taster of Mel's photographs, click on any image below - then point at the full-size picture that appears to reveal the 'Next' / 'Previous' buttons)
A model of the artwork known as ‘Dream' (pictured above), that will be sited at the top of the old Sutton Manor spoil heap, was unveiled at the World of Glass in St.Helens last Wednesday. Since then there’s been a fair bit of local hostility towards the concept (e.g. postings here). Much of the criticism has, I think, been through misunderstandings of the design and its funding. There's been little appreciation of the hard work that Mel, Gary Conley and the others have put in over the last three years.
The former mineworkers in the St.Helens Big Art Project Focus Group pictured outside the old Sutton Manor Colliery gates in 2007.
The criticism has been wide-ranging. Many don’t like the design as it doesn’t directly relate to mining and others simply claim that the money could be much better spent elsewhere, even on the new Saints stadium (!). Although St.Helens Council (and Liverpool Biennial) have been providing considerable support, none of the money is sourced from council tax coffers. It’s been hard-won from a wide range of sources including the Arts Council, Forestry Commission, North West Coalfield Communities Regeneration Programme etc.
The focus group are not downhearted by the criticism. In fact Mel said that they were expecting it! The group had visited Gateshead where Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North was unveiled in 1998 and were regularly told by locals how they’d initially hated the structure but have grown to love it. All art, of course, is subjective and public art is invariably controversial.
I’m pleased to hear that the team have thought through concerns over vandalism and it won’t be that easy for the mindless ones in Sutton Manor to damage ‘Dream’. The plan is to cast it from concrete with a white, almost luminous, finish and a special anti-vandal coating. The structure, which will depict an elongated face of a nine-year old girl, will be sunk deep underground so there'll be no danger of it collapsing during strong winds. Lights will be positioned around the circular plinth to give the face a somewhat ghostly appearance at night. A spotlight situated in the top of the head will at certain times of the year shine a powerful beam skywards.
Mel told me that the 20 metre high structure that's set to tower over the M62 will be made from 26 blocks and each will take a week to construct. Tenders are currently being taken from manufacturers but work can’t begin until the all-important planning permission has been obtained. It will be touch and go whether the artwork can be made and installed in time for the Channel 4 TV series, although the team have planned for this possibility and do have a contingency in mind. Mel confirmed that the first of the four-part prime-time series, which was originally scheduled for transmission this month, will now be broadcast on Sunday November 23th, 2008 and then on the three following Sundays.
I expect that when the doubters and cynics have watched the series and the 'Dream' becomes a Sutton Manor reality, they will develop a greater understanding of the ethos and thinking behind the art project. I personally can’t wait! SW
Brickfields £2m Makeover Well Underway
Sutton Beauty uncovers evidence of supersized moles at the Brickfields site!
11,000 tonnes of earth have been moved onto the site (photographed 15th March '08)
In May more mature trees will be planted in Brickfields, so that we won’t have to wait too long for a decent sized woodland when the work is completed early next year. A central avenue of English oaks is to be created along with some cherry trees and pines in order to provide variation for folk like me who tend to wander from one area of woodlands to another!
Simon Brown is the Works Supervisor for the Forestry Commission in the North West and says:
It’s a real pleasure watching the site changing on an almost daily basis. When we’ve finished local people are going to be really pleased with the results. There will be plenty of opportunities for everyone to enjoy the outdoors, whether it’s walking the dog, cycling or running. The project also includes a 20-year management plan so people can be confident that this new woodland will be kept in good condition.
The latter is especially good news as it’s so easy for sites to deteriorate and become dumping grounds. Sutton Mill Dam is an unfortunate example. However, the Forestry Commission and their chums at Mersey Forest do have a good track record for keeping sites they manage in good nick. Completion of the project, by the way, is expected to be in March 2009. Sutton Beauty will be updating with regular progress reports.
CLICK AN IMAGE FOR A LARGER VIEW
Brickfields Community Woodland - Sutton Manor - St.Helens - Sutton Beauty
Brickfields Woodland Project Approved
St.Helelens Council's planning committee approved the plans in November 2007 with certain conditions, which don't seem to have been put into the public domain as yet. (See this and this post). The St.Helens Star have today finally covered the story, click Here to read. Sutton Beauty has been covering it for thirteen whole months, by the way! The revisions made to the original plans have meant that the schedule has been delayed, so work will now begin in February 2008 with completion expected in March 2009.
Brickfields Community Woodland Update
The proposals include several walking and cycling trails, bridges, nature areas and an eye-catching hill top feature that's intended to become a focal point for the site. The revised plans will be considered at a meeting of St.Helens Council's planning committee on November 6th.
A list of tree, shrub and hedgerow species for planting has just been released. It's very comprehensive and includes English Oak, Silver Birch, Rowan, Ash, Hazel, Wild Cherry, Hawthorn, Holly, Yew, Field Maple, Scots Pine, Dog Rose, Blackthorn, Common Buckthorn, Broom and Wayfaring Tree. A full list can be viewed HERE.
An artist's impression of the project - click for a larger view and an aerial photograph of the Brickfields site as it is now
As there's been some misinformed criticism of the funding for the Manor's Big Art Project, it's worth mentioning the sources for Brickfields. The North West Development Agency are providing £2.1 million of regeneration funding to transform the site, with cash also coming Biffaward, a multi-million pound environment fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. An additional £302,976 has been awarded through the Integrated Countryside and Environment Plan (ICEP), which is an Objective One Project part funded by the European Union. The good folks at Mersey Forest are working to deliver ICEP through Community Forestry.
The work on the site was scheduled to begin on Monday but will no doubt commence when planning permission comes through. When completed the stakeholders envisage Brickfields becoming a valuable area of green space for Sutton locals and visitors to enjoy. This website will be keenly monitoring the project's progress.
Brickfields Community Woodland Plans
An astonishing 40 documents have been submitted by the Forestry Commission and its partners as part of the planning application to St. Helens Council. You can access them HERE although the 28 page Forest Design Plan (.pdf) interested me the most. Very comprehensive with particularly interesting information on the history of the site.
The land currently consists of some woodland, scrub and grassland but is somewhat derelict and neglected. The intention is to create new woodland, wildflower areas and other habitats to expand the biodiversity of Brickfields. There will be active management of habitats as well as “enhanced recreation provision” plus new access routes with entrances secured by “kissing gates”. The kissing gates (nice name!) are intended to exclude motorbikes, which do often spoil my walks in the woodland in Sutton Manor.
Looking out to the northwest of the site and the Cory Lord St.Helens landfill
The landfill site at Cory Lord St.Helens is expected to come into the scheme once filling operations end later this year. I wonder if the rocks in the centre of the site - which I so often repose on - will remain? There’s no mention of these but benches will be provided for weary folk like me to rest on. The work will start on the 26th October 2007 and run to the beginning of March 2008.
It's almost 18 months since soil sampling notices first appeared on the site and a lot of work has clearly been done in the meantime. The proposals look tremendous and with the newly created woodland at Sutton Manor (plus forthcoming Big Art Project) just across the way, it sounds like another welcome improvement to our environment in Sutton.
Manor Big Art Project Commissioned
See here for more on Jaume (click on his name) and here for samples of his work. Click on the Crown Fountain picture below for a montage of images.
Jaume Plensa's installation, Crown Fountain, in Millennium Park Chicago
Sutton Manor Colliery DVD and Book
Sutton Manor Primary have announced that they will be launching a DVD and book on Sutton Manor Colliery on Thursday June 28th. Last year the pupils made an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund and were awarded £34,000. For the last nine months the girls and boys of the Forest Road school have been very busy recording the social history of the colliery which closed in 1991. Presumably the fruits of their labours will be available in Wardleworths, WH Smiths et all on the 28th for us all to enjoy.
Incidentally Sutton Beauty has just added a dedicated page devoted to the Sutton Manor Colliery which includes a 23 picture photo album.
Big Art Site Tour and Big Art Booth
We'll all be invited to record our views on public art and ask out about the progress in creating the work of art that's set to be unveiled at Sutton Manor Woodland in 2008 as part of a primetime C4 series. This will be in a Big Art Video Booth and in a Big Art Record Book. Visitors to the architruck will also be able to sign up to become a volunteer Big Art Ambassador and help with future consultation events. The event will run daily from 9am - 5pm and will also host an exhibition on the Channel 4 Big Art Project which will, of course, include our own site at Sutton Manor Woodland and the work of a range of artists who've all been shortlisted for the commission.
As the formal launch of the Big Art Project at the end of March was a private event, it's clearly positive that community engagement is finally happening. For me obtaining any information about developments has been difficult. I've just been monitoring the Council's news pages on a daily basis on the off-chance that some information might be imparted that I can relay in this site. I do hope that we'll all be able to find out much more at these events and that there will be a decent turnout. You can find out more about this story here.People are invited to take a stroll and find out more about the site’s past from former miners who worked there. There will also be more information about Channel 4’s Big Art Project in St.Helens and developments so far.
Griffin Wood Community Group
Funding has been arranged for orchards, ponds, seating and more sculptures like this one (pictured above right) which is the focal point of the wood. It's also possible that this group of volunteers could carry out conservation tasks in partnership with the Forestry Commission and help organise community events at other countryside sites in the Sutton area.
The meetings are being held at the Chester Lane Community Centre on:
Monday April 16th at 7.30pm
Thursday April 26th at 7.30pm
Click HERE to read Mersey Forest's own invite to the meetings. Click HERE to view a blog detailing the work undertaken so far at Griffin Wood. Anything that the Forestry Commission and their chums at Mersey Forest do, tends to be done very well with a lot of thought. I'll be supporting this initiative and hopefully many others will too.
Eight Mile Manor! (S. Manor Woodland)
On a side note, St Helens Council have yesterday publicised a meeting to be held tonight at the World of Glass in St.Helens to launch the Channel 4 Big Art Project at Sutton Manor. It seems, however, to be a private launch for invited guests from the region's business, arts and regeneration communities and attended by a Channel 4 executive. Hopefully what's revealed at the launch will be comprehensively put into the public domain. You can read the council news story HERE.
Edit A somewhat potted version of what happened at the presentation can be found HERE.
Brickfields (Ibstock) Update
Last year the Forestry Commission undertook soil and water sampling to ascertain whether it was suitable for an extensive woodland. This morning I've received an email from Angiolina, an environmental scientist working for the Commission who reports that tests have proved positive and work on creating a woodland is expected to begin in April. The stakeholders in the project, who have only recently approved the designs, are having their next meeting in mid-March and I've been promised an update then. Excellent news!
There should be many more trees soon in Brickfields
Sutton Manor Colliery Pictures
They are mainly taken just before and after the mine closed in 1991 and Frazer has published them in two parts. You can view the first part here and the second part here. Thanks to Frazer for making these publicly available.
Sutton Manor Rabbit Fencing Removed
Some of the rabbit fencing is being removed by a digger, the rest by hand
Forestry Commission Update
At present there is work to improve and secure the entrances on Jubits Lane and work around the old loading bay [or as the children delightfully call it - the "Echo Wall"]. Bulbs and other flowers have and are being planted by school children to add colour and scent to some of the paths. I'm hoping that a couple of damaged seats can be replaced soon, so that young and old alike can sit and rest whilst admiring the views [or reflecting on life!]. Unfortunately the ground is like concrete so replacement is not quite as easy as it first appears!! You'll also see some of the rabbit fencing being removed soon, now that the trees are established.
Duncan mentions that he's aware of two instances of former colliery workers ashes being scattered at the site, one by the shafts and the other at the top.
As someone who very regularly sits on the benches staring at the Winter Hill TV transmitters and the chimneys at Fiddlers Ferry, it's good to know that repairs to damaged benches will soon take place. Plus I have always wondered what all that fencing was for. Now we know it's to keep away rabbits while the saplings are growing. The bulb planting is very welcome and it's great to have the kids involved.
With the recent news of the Manor site being selected for the C4 Big Art Project this is all very promising for the future of the site.