A CONTEST has been launched to find Wokingham’s very own Angel of the North. Or the Headington Shark that famously peeps out of the roof of a suburban street.
As part of the town centre’s regeneration project, a new artwork will be installed at the Elms Field-based entrance to the Carnival Hub. But organisers currently don’t know what form that will take.
The requirement is that it will be free-standing and permanent, acting as an artistic beacon for those who come to the town to enjoy it.
The art will be on Wellington Road and visible not only from the entrance of Elms Field, but to commuters travelling from Finchampstead Road, ensuring that it will have to be big to be seen from a distance.
The Carnival Hub is the final phase of the regeneration, which has included the creation of Peach Place in the former Rose Street car park, a revamp of Market Place, the building of new flats and shops in Elms Field, as well as a new play area.
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The hub will see the library relocated, alongside a new pool and leisure complex with a hall that can be used for performances as well as fitness sessions.
There is also the already completed bowling alley and multi-storey car park.
Arts4Wokingham has launched the search for an artist to create the work, which will be installed close to the grand opening of the site in August next year.
Applications are welcome up to this August, with the chosen artist expected to take part in a series of community engagement events, such as workshops, to ensure that Wokingham residents are fully involved in the process.
Arts4Wokingham is an arts-based charity that is linked to the borough’s new Arts and Culture Alliance, and will be looking for works that symbolise the transformation of the Town and Borough as well as championing art.
Wokingham Borough Council’s Chief Executive, Susan Parsonage, says that she recognises the enduring impact that a major work like this could have: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Wokingham to make a real statement and hallmark its cultural landscape.
“I can’t wait to see what sort of ideas artists come up with.”
