Local people are being given the chance to help shape an exciting new public art scheme, commissioned as part of a landmark scheme in the heart of Carlisle.

The £840,000 revamp of Castle Street, the spine of the Historic Quarter, includes the design of artwork for nine stone benches.

Appointed artist Hannah Stewart, of Freerange Artists, said:

“The City Council and I are confident that the work will strongly contribute to the Historic Quarter - mapping the lines and telling the stories at the heart of Carlisle’s unique cultural heritage. And since art is about leaving an impression on the world we’re keen that members of the public – who will ultimately be the ones to enjoy the artwork - have a chance to work with me to influence the mark we make.”

Hannah, from Armathwaite, will be holding two open workshops on Saturday, 21 August at Carlisle Railway station, between 10am and 1pm, followed by Tullie House, between 2pm and 4pm.

She added: “The bench designs will be based on defining lines that have influenced Carlisle as a city and shaped its community. At these sessions people will be use objects relevant to the themes to make marks in plastercine, working with repeated patterns and unusual shapes. They’ll be fun workshops that draw people into the process of creating art – please come along if you can!”

The sessions will be open to all ages and no advance booking is needed.

For people who can’t attend, there are lots of other ways to have your say. Residents can also send postcards with experiences, anecdotes and sketches to: Hannah Stewart, Westwalls Studios, Carlisle Enterprise Centre, James Street, Carlisle, CA2 5BB.

The line of Hadrian’s Wall will be used in the designs, as will the River Eden and the railways – capturing Carlisle’s unique history and border location as well as its landscape.

The benches, complete with artwork, will be installed as the final touch to the Castle Street scheme, scheduled to be completed by October. The public realm scheme is designed to make the area more pedestrian-friendly and attractive, as an important part of a package of measures to boost tourism and attract investment to Carlisle.

Castle Street will be one-way southbound, while Fisher Street becomes two-way between Market Street and Spinner’s yard. Existing granite kerbs will be refurbished and the road repaved with whinstone blocks.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

The art commission costs less than 1% of the overall cost of the Castle Street revamp. This reflects the ‘Percent for Art’ policy in the Council’s Local Plan, which asks developers to use a percentage of development costs to enhance their projects through publically accessible artwork’.