Ridgeway Farm Art Project Newsletter #2 Autumn 2019
October 21, 2019
Ridgeway Farm Art Project Newsletter #2 Autumn 2019
Location: Ridgeway Farm Residential Development, Purton, Wiltshire.
Phase One: Community Consultation – ongoing to February 2020 for the residents of Ridgeway Farm and the wider Purton community.
You may have received a flyer through your letterbox about this project – this is a quick update for you!
Walk ‘n’ Talk no. 2 – Sunday 27thOctober 2019
Meet me outside Ridgeway Farm Academy, SN5 4GT at 11am
This is an open invitation for you to join me as we explore the public open spaces that have been identified for a COMMUNITY ORCHARD and Nature trail!
Bring your dog / trainers / wellies / camera / notebook/ sketchbook / friend / binoculars / map / flask…!
The aim is to spend a couple of hours as a group exploring your space – looking at where any art work might go and letting you get to know me and find out more about this free project.
(Sorry – no unaccompanied children (or pets!) – please come as a family instead!)
The Map:
Following the first Art Workshop with Year 5 at Ridgeway Farm Academy in September, I am collating drawings and photographs to use in a HAND DRAWN MAP of the development. Iain Green of Wildlife Wonder worked with the children and a display of their fabulous photographs will be on show next year at the school Summer Fair. I will be using their drawings in the map and now there is an opportunity for youto have your art work included too – I want your drawings of wildlife, nature, landscape, houses, trees, plants, flora and fauna seen on the development to include in the map which will be given free to each household in the development.
Please send me drawings or bring them to the walk n talk events – asap! A3 max size, colour or black and white, name and date the work!
The Community Orchard:
Following a site meeting with Greensquare who manage the public open spaces on the development, I can confirm that if a group of minimum of 6 residents can form a working party we can put into motion the community orchard. There needs to be a group of committed residents who will love and cherish the orchard over the coming years so if you would like to be involved please come and meet me. The space identified as most suitable is in the (currently fenced-off) area of open space to the north east railway boundary – off Mill Hill down towards River View. What do you think of this location? Do you like fruit? What would your favourite fruit tree be and will you help plant it?
I hope to incorporate this orchard into the map and make a seat or sculptural signpost for the space.
Bat Boxes:
Next spring (after torpor/hibernation) there will be a ‘Bat Walk’ with a volunteer from the Wiltshire Bat Group – you can get involved in identifying where the bats are and how many there are on the estate – date to be confirmed soon. Let me know if and where you have seen bats this summer – this will be added to the map!
There will be a bat box making workshop for residents spring/summer 2020 – sign up now if you want to receive info about this – I need to confirm numbers to plan a workshop space for this – if you are a great wood worker – can you help?
Art Work/sculpture:
I am looking for residents views on a location for a piece of art work/seating/sign post/welcome sign for the development – do you want to contribute? Is there a space you have seen that would be great for a piece of sculpture? Come and meet me to discuss the options and have a say in what happens in your public open spaces!
This project needs your help! Can you help spread the word? Tell your neighbors and get people talking about what is happening?
I will be running more art workshops at the school, cubs and scouts and an after school photography session for parents with their children and Wildlife Wonder next year – sign up now!
Follow this https://melissacoleartistblacksmith.blogspot.com/ to find out more about the project and/or sign up for regular updates!
Follow #ridgewayfarmart on Twitter and Instagram
If you would like to contribute to this project in any way please contact me via email; melissa@melissacole.co.uk
See you on site soon!
Posted in Education and community art, Sculpture