Monchelsea Park
Creating a more connected and focused development
FrancisKnight were appointed by Redrow Homes to produce a public art delivery plan for Monchelsea Park, Maidstone. The delivery plan supports a full planning application for a prospective residential development of 302 dwellings (total of which 211 private and 91 affordable dwellings) at Monchelsea Place, Maidstone, Kent.
Monchelsea Place is historically agricultural meadowland. A typical Kentish landscape, it benefits from mature trees, hedgerow boundaries and abundant wildlife. The site is flanked to the west by Bicknor Wood, which is a designated ancient woodland and close to Otham, a small parish. The existing ecology and landscape have influenced the approach for the public art, in particular the established trees and new village green both offering focal points and a place to site artwork to aid connectivity throughout the development.
The Lead Artist selected for the site is Kent-based sculptor Jason Mulligan. Jason is a contemporary sculptor specialising in stone and has been involved in the fabrication and installation of a wide variety of public art projects across the UK and Eire.
As part of the project, Mulligan provided an education session with nearby school, Langley Park Primary Academy. On Thursday 19th and Friday 20th May, he delivered two workshops with 29 students in Year 6.
This collaborative workshop involved hammer and chisel training, followed by creating draft designs and motifs for decorating sculptures. Mulligan was able to discuss his plans for the installation and their ideas will be considered as part of the final works.
Read more about this workshop on the Redrow website here.