Primary School Children Help to Design Public Art for New Otham Housing Development. Primary school children are getting involved in the creation of a piece of public art that will form the permanent artworks due to be installed at a new housing development in Otham from 2024.
Published date: 22 March 2023
Pupils at Madginford Primary School and Senacre Wood Primary School are taking part in workshops with local artist and map maker Rob Turner, to help inform the ideas behind public art for Bellway’s Parsonage Place site off Church Road.
A map is the first piece of work to be created for Parsonage Place and will become a part of future artwork to be permanently installed at the site during various stages of the construction programme.
Rob has been commissioned to lead the project by Maidstone-based public art consultancy FrancisKnight, responsible for managing the public art commissions for the new 421-home development.
Rob visited both primary schools for introductory workshops in December last year, and has since returned for follow-up sessions in January.
In the initial workshops, pupils received a short presentation from Rob on maps and map making, which was followed by a discussion focused on their local area and what is important to them. Bird and bat box workshops will be the next activity to take place in March with Senacre Wood Primary School.
Artist Rob Turner, commented: “By walking around the area with classes from nearby schools and running map making sessions with community groups, local knowledge is pooled together to make a ‘people’s map’ of Otham. It shows what matters most to the local community and will inform the themes and content for the art works to follow.”
Mark Harrop, Bellway Kent Sales Director, said: “The public art project for Parsonage Place provides a great opportunity to involve local schoolchildren in the creation of public art for this new neighbourhood.
“We hope that the children will enjoy taking part in the design process and that their input ensures we end up with a piece of art that is meaningful to them and other people in the area.
“It is a pleasure to be working with FrancisKnight and Rob on this exciting project and we are very much looking forward to seeing their visions come to life.”
Bellway is building a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments and two, three and four-bedroom houses at Parsonage Place.
For more information about the development, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/kent/parsonage-place or call 01732 608 239.
For further information, please contact Sam Smith at Liberty PR on:
sam@libertypr.co.uk or call 07377 790593
Press release by Liberty PR on behalf of Bellway Homes.