Isle of Man Regeneration: Public Art Programme Initial visioning exercise - 19th March 2012

Peel

Noah Rose, Ian Banks, Matt Owen

Introduction Noah Rose & Associates have been appointed to coordinate artistic direction for public art as part of the strategic regeneration programmes for Ramsey, Laxey, Peel and the South West (Port Erin and Port St. Mary). Some limited coordination also applies to separate public art developments for Douglas and Castletown. Information on this programme and on Noah Rose & Associates can be viewed on: http://sevenmanxtowns.blogspot.com/ Team comprises: Noah Rose (Lead Artist & Coordinator); Ian Banks (Public Art Consultant & Architect); and Matt Owen (Associate Artist). As a starting point, the issues that the team considered critical to the successful undertaking of the island-wide project cover 5 key strands - which are: Location and Distinctiveness (a unique sense of place) Community Engagement (arts activity used more as action research) Design Team Integration (being fit for the brief, achievable and sustainable) Broadening Opportunities (facilitating local artists and creative skills etc) Cultural Visioning & Branding (being part of a joined-up cultural & tourism strategy)

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

Peel Public Art Brief

Strands 1-3 of the brief for Peel, sets the focus for public art on the immediate areas centred around
the Project 1 and Project 2 areas (see map) This brief also looks to radiate out and interconnect across the town. Ideas proposed will look to review all earlier public art proposals, public consultations and current regeneration schemes being considered.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

Peel - Identified Sites / Project 1 Ideas

Initially, preliminary public art ideas have been identified for Peel Project 1.

Ideas need to be tested against: community support design team support available budgets local available skills of artists etc.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

Peel - Identified Sites / Project 2 Ideas

Similarly, Peel Project / Phase 2 ideas will develop either in parallel to Project 1 or be in series dependent on the agreed brief. Not all projects will be possible of course though some may lay the seed for future commissions (by others perhaps), including pan-island ones.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

01. Artisan Crafts

Contemporary crafts commission. Subtle typographical paving and wall pieces in stone and zinc to interpret Peel community and history in hand-carved letters. Possible links to Manx Litfest 2012 & IoM Poetry Society. Small and often in attitude of less is more. Linked to linear interventions in terms of embedded hard landscaping and interpretation along wall and floor streetscape of lanes and alleys from Project 1 and 2 sites - and also linking to sea front promenade, harbour and island.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

02. Artisan Shop Signs

Artist input into potential shop canopies and signage to Douglas Street / Atholl Place etc. Eg: Bronze Kipper for Kipper shop, lamb for butchers and clock for jewellers etc. Also traditional painted signs and elegant sign writing/ black-smithing. Potential for shop planning design guide.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

02. Artisan Shop Signs (continued)

Some further examples

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

03. Pop-Up Artist Spaces

So-called Pop-Up artists colonisation of various vacant retail shops or industrial units creating a
literal shop window and network for artist studios, galleries, drop-ins and other installations and creating cultural added-value to the streetscape. Units agreed on short-term leases - subject to immediately vacating if being sold or let.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

04. Lettering & Typography

Artisan street signage and blank gable lettering (temporary & permanent poems etc)

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

05. Manx Wildlife Trust

Development of wildlife sculpture brief linked to Raad ny Foillan (herring, Manx Shearwater etc) in relationship to Manx Wildlife Trust (for location either outside of the new shop or at other location(s) throughout the town. Potentially linked to collections.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

06. St Peters Performance Space & Commemorative Garden

Subject to discussions over use of consecrated ground, is potential for fixed staging and seating along with creative lighting and projection to create backdrop to outdoor music, dances and promenade theatre, mystery and passion plays as well as film screenings and art installations etc.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

07. St Peters Clock

In 1872 a clock was presented to Peel by the Hon. J.K.Ward from Montreal and so the tower in St Peters was built to house it. To mark its 140th anniversary, is proposed a new chiming, musical or other sourced sound sculpture with night-time lighting to make it a central feature and animated tourism draw like the Prague Astronomical Clock.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

10. Navigational Beacons

Limited application of permanent or temporary intervention of colour, graphics, lighting and windows on both minor and major landmark buildings to animate navigation along key meandering trails with artist-designed Peel palette. Negotiation with landowners and subsidy.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

11. Reflective Seating

Crafted street furniture in stone or hardwood, placed on seafront. With discrete soundscape applied via integral MP3 players headphone port (people to provide own). Programmable with such things as Leece / Transport Museum commentary, and Manx language or poetry & songs from Manx Litfest and other programmes etc.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

12. Pocket Parks & Floriades

Also linked to seating perhaps, feasibility for potential of community-maintained pocket parks and friendly guerrilla gardening in small niches along connecting corridors. Full negotiation with landowners to agree possible hard and soft landscaping schemes and seating. Potential Gardening Festival or Floriade. i.e. Typical example illustrated is the small forecourt to Grace Baptist Church on Market St.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

13. Beach Caf & Viewing Deck

Subject to ownerships, leasing and of course capital costs, could explore an artist collaboration with architects etc to create new beach caf pavilion and sculptural sun awning and deck. Suggested linked to wide custom zebra crossing and vehicular shared surface, and aesthetic of sculptural beachhut and Lifeguard vernacular.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

13. Wayfinding / Interpretation

Traditional Information points as well as location-specific apps for wayfinding and QR Tag interpretation (Linked to key areas to Project 1 and 2 sites as well as Peel Online and of course major destinations such as Peel Castle etc as local hub and gateway - with red telephone boxes possibly used as mini information points)

Peel Walking Tour Peel Castle

Peel Castle is a castle in Peel, Isle of Man originally constructed by Vikings. The castle stands on St Patrick's Isle which is connected to the town by causeway.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

15. Stamps
Artists to create new contemporary stamp series for Peel on agreed themes and also exhibited via light projection, shop windows, street banners and other printed media (could be one set for each town or similar). Exemplar artist case studies as example, include the recent Internment Camp artist series and the current Paul Smith Olympic designs. Possible Leece Museum exhibit sources or possibly transport links to the Transport Museum and Peel Engineering and the Peel P50 and Trident etc.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

16. Lumiere - Winter Festival of Light / Fire

Revisit of cancelled Bay and Viking Festivals ideas to explore feasibility for new community festival. Temporary intervention of lighting, projection and sound along the sea front and around key nodes such as castle, cathedral and Corrins Tower. Lighting, projection and lantern processions as winter 'Northern Lights' festival potentially linked to Sea and Manx heritage. Ideally, possible island co-ordination with other towns in the programme and with wider island cultural programming.

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates

17. Raad ny Foillan (Isle of Man Coast Path) Public Art Trail
Connection of both old (i.e. Corrins Tower etc) and new public art commissions linked to the current Isle of Man regeneration public art programme for Douglas, Laxey, Peel, Port Erin, Port St Mary and Castletown. Clusters of town and village based commissions linked ideally with other coastal path commissions along the trail funded separately (such as Point of Ayre, Jurby and Kirk Michael).

Isle of Man Regeneration Public Art Co-ordination - Noah Rose & Associates