Davis & Jones, ‘The Green Triangle’, 2011. Written and performed by the SPAN Junction 3 Group. Image courtesy of Davis&Jones.
Synopsis
The Public Engagement Programme was delivered by artists Davis & Jones between 2010 and 2012 for the Junction 3 development. The programme was designed to involve, inform and include the local community during a potentially disruptive building programme.
Events included ‘Tented City’ in 2010, in which the artists and enthusiastic volunteers from the local community created a dawn till dusk installation consisting of a group of tents on the land to be developed before building work began. Approximately 700 people visited over the course of 18 hours and the event sparked people’s curiosity and encouraged the development of a strong sense of community. For ‘Hats’ local residents were asked to knit a hat for construction workers on the site. A variety of other events, based around interests such as sport and music and involving construction workers and local groups, including a local primary school, took place during 2011 and 2012. Davis and Jones worked with First Born Creatives to create a film documenting the events which will be shown at the opening of Junction 3 in the spring of 2013.
Davis & Jones have created a permanent artwork intervention called the ‘Library of Ideas’ which is an archive of objects collected during the public engagement programme. These have been curated for permanent display in the foyer of the new building.
Junction 3 is a mixed-use development currently being built at Junction 3 of the M32 in Bristol. When complete, it will house an exciting learning and resource centre as well as provide a new home for the Trinity Road Library. As part of the overall development, there will also be housing units and spaces suitable for office and community use available for letting. Junction 3 is a partnership initiative between Bristol City Council, Knightstone Housing Association and the Big Lottery Community Libraries Programme.
Willis Newson is a leading Bristol-based independent arts consultancy specialising in creative approaches to improving health and wellbeing. It develops public art strategies for new builds and refurbishments, develops and manages public art plans and public engagement programmes, delivers training for artists and performers in healthcare settings and provides advice and guidance on the design and implementation of projects to promote healthy environments and improve health and wellbeing.
