Art on Greenwich Peninsula Strategy & Programme
Greenwich Peninsula: Creating a Sense of Place, Public Art Strategy & Programme
Year
2007-2009
Client
Arts Council England
London Borough Greenwich Greenwich Peninsula (Lend Lease / Quintain JV)
Greenwich Millennium Village (Countryside / Taylor Wimpey JV)
GLA (formerly Homes & Communities Agency)
Collaborator
Vivienne Reiss
Services
Development of Strategy
Devised and Delivered Arts Programme
Commission Management
Designer
Website, downloadable maps and identity by Platform-3
Location
Greenwich Peninsula, London
A Public Art Programme for Greenwich Peninsula
Art in the Public Realm Greenwich Peninsula was established to develop a comprehensive and considered approach to commissioning art for one of London’s most significant regeneration projects. The programme grew out of a desire on the part of the development stakeholders to create a true sense of place on the peninsula and to establish and foster ownership and value of the public realm in particular.
In 2006 the client group commissioned muf architecture/art to look at the options to creating a model of good practice for planning and delivery of public art. This report formed the basis of the appointment of the Art Directors, Bridget Sawyers and Vivienne Reiss.
The Art Directors were initially appointed to establish Phase 1 of the art programme to establish structures, mechanisms and partnerships to deliver a sustainable programme of art which would benefit both residents and visitors. Monitoring and evaluation structures were established to consider the impact and success of the individual commissions and the programme as a whole.
“It reinforced the fact that as it becomes a place where more and more people live and spend a lot of time, that public and participative art should be as accessible to those who use the space.”
Curatorial vision
The curatorial vision for the programme aimed to contribute to the development of the social and physical identity of the Greenwich peninsula, animating the public realm and creating a sense of place. Sustainability and ecology were key issues underpinning the development approach and are considered fundamental to the art programme. The programme was developed in response to the evolving community and shifting nature of the public realm. Its longer term aim was to build a legacy of art interventions in the urban fabric creating connections and cohesion across the site and building linkages to other parts of Greenwich and the surrounding areas.
Programme
A three year action plan was established based on five delivery strands, and identified projects that could be delivered quickly and those that could be developed over time; it also allowed scope for extending beyond the remit of the document if other opportunities arose and for beyond the first phase.
The programme comprised a series of temporary interventions, commissions in built places and spaces, events and performances, debate and education. The artist on the design team was yet to be delivered in this phase of the programme, although work was undertaken to facilitate this at a later stage.
The programme was highly successful in raising the profile of the area and promoting the programme to external stakeholders and organisations through events such as London Festival of Architecture (being the south east London Hub), Big Dance and Open House London. The art programme helped to establish a sense of identity for the peninsula as a place for quality public art and the Artists Making Places conference attracted a wide international audience who for the first time were able to consider it as a location for art.
“The calibre of the installations and events delivered was very high. The art programme engaged with developers and stakeholders in a way that had not been achieved on the peninsula previously and it encouraged truly creative responses to the opportunities that were presented.”
A strong network of contacts and stakeholders was established. The establishment of working partnerships with local schools and arts organisations enabled more money to be secured for projects, maximising the resources available and delivering more than the sum of the programme’s parts.
The programme achieved more than the individual members could have done in isolation and the benefit of the cohesive approach was demonstrated in the quality of interventions that had been accomplished.
The initial stages of the credit crunch impacted on the programme and the client group were unable to invest in Phase 2 of the delivery.