Creative Town Arts Programme
The Dewsbury Creative Town Arts Programme is a 3 year project 2020-2023 intended to produce ambitious, quality public art in the town to reflect Dewsbury's rich industrial history as well as our ambitions for the future. The Creative Town project is part of the Dewsbury Blueprint.
The programme stems from a policy document 'A Public Art Plan For Dewsbury Town Centre' written for the council by staff of Creative Scene in December 2019 that describes how public art can contribute to many aspects of town life.
The project is managed by beam, a Wakefield based arts management company that specialises in public art commissioning.
To mark the beginning of the Creative Town Arts programme, 'WORK', a statue by Sir Antony Gormley was installed on the roof of Pioneer House in May 2021.
'Walls Have Ears' was also commissioned from artist Adrian Riley before the Creative Town programme began. Delayed by the Covid epidemic it was installed on the outside of the bus station wall alongside the ring road on 7 May 2021.
Commissions
The following commissions have been let to date:
- Contemporary Large Scale Mural - Gable end of town centre building in Dewsbury
- Contemporary Mural - the Arcade - to decorate the ends of the Arcade that have been boarded up while the Arcade refurbishment takes place.
- Temporary Textile Installation - a temporary physical installation in Dewsbury town centre during the Woven Festival 2021 (5-27 June)
- Transforming Market - application of a distinctive design to 19 of the 51 containers installed in Dewsbury town centre to accommodate the market while the Market Hall is refurbished. The Market Hall project is a major part of the Dewsbury Blueprint.
- Tessella - by Saba Rifat - a derivation of Islamic art to brighten up the pedestrian underpass beneath the ring road.
Information on the development of these and other commissions will be posted below as it becomes available