New art installation unveiled
A new art installation has been unveiled in Stevenage town centre, thanks to the Stories from the Gordon Craig project.
The installation – located in the underpass leading to Asda – consists of posters made by local people living with dementia and their carers, in collaboration with Modern Suffrage. The artists used copies from the archive developed from the Stories from the Gordon Craig project to create the collage-like posters with the group of residents.
Stories from the Gordon Craig is a project led by Stevenage Arts Guild, which started in January 2019 – supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund – and is delivered in partnership with the Gordon Craig Theatre and Stevenage Museum.
In recognising Stevenage’s Arts and Heritage Strategy, with the aim of maximising community skills and development opportunities and enhancing public art, the Arts and Heritage Forum got involved to help select Modern Suffrage to create a public artwork display on the town’s cycling/walking network, with permission from Hertfordshire County Council and support from Stevenage Borough Council.
The concept for the artwork was that public engagement with people with dementia, the use of biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials, and encouraging public use of the pedestrian and cycling network are a reflection of the network’s environmental and wellbeing benefits. It is also a contribution to the annual Stevenage Cycling Festival and Hertfordshire Year of Culture 2020.
Councillor Richard Henry, Executive Member for Children, Young People, Leisure and Culture, said, “This art installation brightens up the area and we hope it will encourage more residents and shoppers to use our unique network of cycleways and pedestrian infrastructure.
“It’s great that local residents have been able to leave their own unique marks in this way, and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the project.”