Our Place/Taunton
Somerset Art Works has been delivering a programme of community engagement activities in North and East Taunton through the Our Place project since 2014.
Our creative programme in North Taunton encourages people to explore their neighbourhoods, identify opportunities to improve the local environment for play, attractiveness, ecological diversity and health and wellbeing.
Our aims are to develop:
Community creativity
Community participation
Sustainable community environments, places and spaces
2022
Priorswood Celebration project for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
The Arts Council England Lets Create Jubilee funding Via the Somerset Community Foundation enabled Priorswood Community Centre to work collaboratively with us to commission Somerset mosaic artist Dawn Handy to make 10 new mosaic roundels for the Jubilee Community Garden seating area.
“I was delighted to be invited to create ten mosaic roundels inspired by designs created by members of the local community, who themselves were inspired by the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Queen’s Green Canopy.
The materials used to create these roundels include, but are not limited to: mirrors, vintage crockery, vitreous glass, stained glass, beads and glass pebbles. As far as possible, I have incorporated recycled materials, purchased from local charities, in support of the wider community. The mosaics are made up of thousands of little pieces or tesserae. Each one has been cut by hand, using traditional hand tools. I love recycling modern and vintage materials, whilst working in a semi-traditional way.”
– Dawn Handy
Co-Creating Green
Somerset Art Works, in partnership with North Taunton One Team, commissioned artist and architect George Lovesmith to create a strategic vision for Lyngford Park in North Taunton. Understandings of the park and proposals for the space were developed through a series of creative engagement activities held throughout the summer of 2022 and build on deep rooted work over many years by Somerset Art Works.
“Fundamental to the approach proposed is the notion that participation in creative processes can have great significance for someone, over and above the experience of seeing a piece of art. There is the potential to nurture confidence and skills, provide a sense of belonging and something to do. These processes can be transformative, for individuals and in turn, communities & places. It is suggested that a public art strategy for Lyngford Park be rooted in programmes of co-creation where the focus is on getting the process right for those who might collaborate, rather than a piece of art as an end product.”
You can read the report here.
Summer Workshops in North and East Taunton
Throughout the summer holidays, we worked with a selection of wonderful SAW artists to deliver a series of weekly workshops in East Taunton and North Taunton. Creative activities included painting, print-making and creating a clay forest around the theme of the Queen’s Green Canopy to mark the Jubilee year.
Artists included Megan Players, George Lovesmith, Jill Davies, Joanna Briar, Steph Turner, Annie Musgrove and Ann King.
2021
Priorswood Pollinators
Somerset Art Works and partners developed creative activities for people in North Taunton.
Working outdoors in Lyngford Park, at home, or in school, we explored how Pollination plays an important role in the natural world to secure our future.
A cut grass Labyrinth created by Christopher Jelley was installed in lower Lyngford Park for everyone to enjoy. See our project blog: https://priorswoodpollinators.wordpress.com/
With funding from: Arts Council England, Somerset West and Taunton Council: North Taunton One Team, The Tenants’ Action Group Youth Initiative Fund, The Community Chest Grant Scheme. Local Giving Magic Little Grants.
With thanks for in kind support from: Somerset Wildlife Trust and Priorswood Community Centre.
Lyngford Film
Lyngford film is a community based youth project encouraging young people from the North Taunton area and users of Lyngford Park to have their say about where they live and share their concerns and hopes for the future.
We ran Lyngford Film in 2021 with lead artist Richard Tomlinson, offering school workshops and summer youth club activities.
See the project blog for more information and to watch the films created during the project: https://lyngfordfilm.wordpress.com/
2020
Window Wanderland, Nocturnal Nightlights
East and North Taunton
21 November – 6 December 2020
Window Wanderland provided a perfect way to brighten up neighbourhoods in the dark months and see an area in a new creative light. Fun, local and open to everyone, community window and garden displays could be explored through walking trails – transforming the streets into a magical outdoor gallery.
See our project blog https://nocturnalnightlights.wordpress.com/ to discover more about our school workshops and community displays.
A Create + Place project with Somerset Art Works, Fuse Outdoor Arts and Somerset West and Taunton Council
At Home with Nature
Pupils from Lyngford Park Primary School took part in Somerset art Works’ At Home with Nature lockdown project in 2020. Beautiful bees, butterflies and birds were designed and printed on aluminium for display in Lyngford Park.
See our project blog: athomewithnaturesomerset.wordpress.com
2019/2020
Woolaway Reminiscence Project
A 12 month reminiscence project with artist Carolyn Lefley and Somerset Art Works
Council-built, structurally defective Woolaway houses are being demolished and rebuilt on an estate in North Taunton. Artist Carolyn Lefley engaged with residents and their families, to listen to, record and archive their memories during this time of change.
See the project blog: https://woolawaystories.home.blog/
Artworks have been created to celebrate personal stories and shared social history, to be displayed in the new community space once it has been built.
2019
Create + Place Family Workshops
Somerset Art Works was out and about in Priorswood and Halcon throughout 2019, delivering family friendly creative workshops and community consultation in Priorswood and Halcon as part of the Create + Place project with Somerset West and Taunton Council and Fuse.
Winter 2019
Somerset Art Works ran Create + Place workshops in Priorswood during December, lovely to witness all ages taking part and making seasonal table decorations. We welcomed family groups, toddlers, teenagers, older members of the community, sibling groups making a present for mum and parents grabbing a few minutes to be creative themselves – very exciting to see what everyone made! Watch our 1.5 minute film made by Hannah Earl.
Summer 2019
Our summer 2019 workshop artists included Megan Players (paper, paint and clay workshops) and Print House – an initiative led by sixth form students from South Dartmoor College who run screen printing workshops for young people.
Funded by Somerset West and Taunton Council and Arts Council England
2019
Lyngford film – Youth Project
Lyngford film is a community based youth project encouraging young people from the Priorswood area and users of Lyngford Park to have their say about where they live and share their concerns and hopes for the future.
We hope to run a second part of Lyngford Film in 2021
See the project blog for more information: https://lyngfordfilm.wordpress.com/
Drop in film making workshops were run by Aphra Evans and Sarah Langley through the spring and summer of 2019. These are the films the young people made.
A Somerset Art Works project with funding from:
2019: Arts Council England, Somerset Crimebeat Trust, Somerset West and Taunton Council. Supported by North Taunton One Team, North Taunton PCSOs, Priorswood Community Centre.
2020/2021: 2019: Arts Council England, #iwill fund, Somerset West and Taunton Council. Supported by North Taunton One Team, North Taunton PCSOs, Priorswood Community Centre.
2018
Lyngford Labyrinth – Wild flower meadow labyrinth on Lyngford Park.
See our 2 minute film made by Reuben Jelley at the popular Pride in Priorswood summer activity days organised by Priorswood Community Centre. Somerset Art Works’ artists Christopher Jelley, Sarah Langley and Flora Arbuthnott led free creative activities for families.
2018
Priorswood Community Centre 20 year Anniversary Project
Somerset Art Works artist Emma Finch worked with Priorswood Community Centre to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Through collaboration with the community history group and volunteers, Emma collected images and stories from the area to create a commemorative textile wall hanging and celebration mugs which visually link the community centre to the history of the local area, raising awareness of it’s role as a welcoming hub for all the community.
2017
In 2017 we continued our work in the area with new funding from the Postcode Local Trust to engage with local people to collectively improve community spaces. We ran gardening and growing workshops and print making sessions with Taunton Academy.
2016
In 2016 Somerset Art Works successfully gained a Pocket Park grant to work with the communities of North Taunton and Taunton Deane Borough Council to improve and refresh a run-down play area known locally as ‘The Cage’. Through wildlife-friendly planting and community engagement activities we aim to transform an ugly, underused public space into somewhere that can be enjoyed and appreciated by all ages.
Full details on the Blackthorn Gardens Pocket park Click Here
2014 – 2015
2014-15 Project Work was funded by The People’s Health Trust, an independent charity addressing health inequalities across Great Britain. Taunton Deane Borough Council and Arts Council England also provided funding and project work included:
- Craftivist Garden workshops with Nina Gronw-Lewis
- Partnering Somerset Wildlife Trust on the Routes to the River Tone Project in North Taunton – Nature street art, guerilla art trail, family fun days in the park, artists working in public spaces.
- Community Gardening project in North Taunton with Sarah Langley
- Film and documentation of project work with Somerset Film
- Community Weave Bombing and Consultation at the Pride in Priorswood events, summer
- A course of Weaving Workshops with Penny Wheeler, through the Z-Twist project
More project documentation is on our you tube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/websitesaw/videos
Priorswood Pollinators
Somerset Art Works will be developing creative activities for people in North Taunton in the Spring and Summer of 2021. Working outdoors in Lyngford Park, at home, or in school, we will explore how Pollination plays a role in the natural world to secure our future.
Lyngford Film
Lyngford film is a community based youth project encouraging young people from the Priorswood area and users of Lyngford Park to have their say about where they live and share their concerns and hopes for the future.
Window Wanderland, Nocuturnal Nightlights
A perfect way to brighten up your neighbourhood in the dark months by creating designs for your windows and lanterns or light sculptures for your front gardens. Come out and see your neighbourhood in a new creative light!
Create + Place
Somerset Art Works is working with the communities of Priorswood and Halcon as part of the new Create + Place project with Somerset West and Taunton Council and Fuse.
At Home with Nature
A nature and creativity lockdown project for schools and families All about insects, birds, fish, beetles and butterflies. Participants created their own nature inspired designs using templates by artist Melanie Tomlinson.
Woolaway Reminiscence Project
A 12 month reminiscence project with artist Carolyn Lefley and Somerset Art Works in North Taunton.
Lyngford Labyrinth
In the summer of 2018 a wild flower labyrinth emerged in the heart of Lyngford Park in Priorswood, Taunton, creating a path full of meaning and life to be explored through its twists and turns.
Priorswood Community Centre – Celebrating 20 Years
Somerset Art Works artist Emma Finch working with Priorswood Community Centre to celebrate their 20th anniversary.
Blackthorn Gardens Pocket Park
Somerset Art Works successfully gained a Pocket Park grant to work with the communities of North Taunton and Taunton Deane Borough Council to improve and refresh an unloved play area known locally as ‘The Cage’.
Craftivist Garden
Somerset Art Works co-ordinated a Somerset cluster of the national Craftivist project. Workshops facilitated by Nina Gronw-Lewis took place in North Taunton as part of SAW's Our Place project and at various venues around the county.
Routes to the River Tone with Somerset Wildlife Trust
Somerset Art Works worked in collaboration with Somerset Wildlife Trust on the Routes to the River Tone Project in Taunton in 2015.
North Taunton Community Gardening Project
Sarah Langley leads a community gardening initiative in North Taunton as part of SAW’s Our Place project.
Pride in Priorswood Community Consultation Days
During August 2014 SAW took part in the Pride in Priorswood events to meet local people and find out what creative community projects they wanted to get involved in and why.
Weave Bombing and Pom Poms
Penny Wheeler ran Weave Bombing and Pom Pom making activities at the Pride in Priorswood events over the Summer of 2014.
Weaving Workshops at Priorswood Community Centre
A course of 6 sessions from June to October 2014 at Priorswood Community Centre run by Penny Wheeler.
In this section:
- Routes to the River Tone with Somerset Wildlife Trust
- Lyngford Labyrinth
- Pride in Priorswood Community Consultation Days
- Priorswood Community Centre – Celebrating 20 Years
- Weaving Workshops at Priorswood Community Centre
- Weave Bombing and Pom Poms
- Craftivist Garden
- Blackthorn Gardens Pocket Park
- North Taunton Community Gardening Project