Why weird-looking art has appeared in Nuneaton and Bedworth town centres...

[dutchman]

One is in Church Street in Nuneaton, the other in All Saints Square in Bedworth



New eye-catching pieces of art have been put in place in Nuneaton and Bedworth town centres. In Church Street, near to Wilkos, there is a new colourful seating-type piece of art while there is an installation over one of the planters in All Saints Square in Bedworth town centre.

They have been described as 'street interventions' by Warwickshire County Council, which has championed the almost £350,000 project with artists. In seven areas of the county, artwork has been created with specific-themes.

And in Nuneaton's case, the artwork has been called 'Weave' as a nod to the town's ribbon weaving history. It has been created by Grant Radford of Accent London.

The artwork has been called a piece of street architecture. It has a seating area with a cyclical undulating form echoing Nuneaton’s rich silk ribbon weaving heritage.

The ribbon-weaving theme continues in Bedworth and the installation has been called 'Ribbon for Bedworth’. It has been created by Nuneaton born artist, Paul Channing and is a sculptural steel ‘ribbon’.



Warwickshire County Council has dubbed the programme as a 'radical move' to reinvigorate the use of public spaces such as town centres and parks in the wake of the pandemic. It has been paid for with £194,000 from the government’s Getting Building Fund through the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) and £150,000 from the county council’s own Place Shaping Fund.

The installations are expected to be in place for up to four years. Yet Shire Hall has said that, if adopted, they could potentially remain in place longer.

Through the project, lesser known artists were given the chance to put forward their ideas. Councillor Martin Watson, the county council's portfolio holder for economy and place and CWLEP board director, said: “Art and culture play an increasingly key role in the vitality and vibrancy of our places, affecting how that place defines itself and is seen by others. The aim of this exciting initiative is to help create that sense of place, and ultimately encourage more use of these places which is a key part of the county council’s multi-pronged strategy to support economic recovery.

“The project has also been an opportunity for seven artists, designers and creatives to get invaluable experience working on a collaborative project, from initial idea, through to functional street intervention for a public space. Each artist/designer has responded to a site-specific brief, as well as the overarching project themes of connecting green and urban space, community voice and identity.”

[dutchman]

I thought the one in Nuneaton was a kiddies' climbing frame?

[rebbonk]

Total waste of money.