BENEATH
THE PAVEMENT- A Participants View-
Michelle
Rheeston-Humphreys
‘Beneath
The Pavement’ began a day early for me, with a happenstance sneak preview of
the converted gallery space. It was pretty much already prepped for the next
day’s ambitious events. In that instant,
contemplating the transformed gallery space, I was reminded of how recurrently I
am inspired by the AirSpace Gallery team’s endless hard work and commitment; to
provide diverse artist opportunities and to their regeneration of the city and
its contemporary arts scene. I am fascinated by this process of transforming
spaces by creative vision and endeavor and the impression it has on those who
inhabit and experience it. This is why I was instantly drawn to take part in
this opportunity to re-imagine the city of Stoke-on Trent.
I
first came to Stoke in 2011 for a ‘Factory Nights’ project considering artistic
approaches to the new bus station, planned to be built in Hanley (now built)
and the impact this would have on the existing, partially abandoned (now
totally abandoned) bus station and shopping precinct circa 1970s. Since then I
have been involved with a number of public realm art projects within
Stoke. ‘Beneath The Pavement’ however
has a different approach, most notably because of the arrival of Appetite.
Appetite has been working alongside AirSpace to commission a group of artists
to work collaboratively, to generate ideas and to propose an alternative
approach to the current city. The results of which, will highlight the vital benefits
of city councils to work with artists, to regenerate our dysfunctional cities
effectively. This issue is particularly significant for Stoke City Council, due
to the recently recognized lack of engagement with the arts and the distinctive
dislocation of the six towns that make up Stoke-on-Trent.
‘Beneath
The Pavement’ is steered by four lead artists: Anna Francis, Mark Gubb, Emily
Speed and Dan Thompson, all with crucial insight into, and experience of,
working in the public realm. Our first
day unfolded with each artist taking to the stage, filling our heads full of a
variety of images, information and strategies; every presentation distinctive,
thought provoking and inspirational.
To
break up the presentations we followed a city tour by Jonathan
Bellamy and Rachel James,
which outlined the plans from the City Centre Partnership. We gained further insight into the inner
workings of the city council from the public realm landscape architect, in his ‘opinion
provoking’ presentation. It genuinely emphasized some of the difficulties and
restrictions the regeneration team has to work under, as well as the fateful problems
this pressure leads to. This set us up for an ambitious task, to subvert and
remedy these glitches and gaps in the city that are created by these very contexts.
It
was at this point we were ready to take action. I was in a group led by Anna
Francis- quite literally. Anna led us all, eyes closed and holding hands, around,
through and across what felt like the entire cultural quarter of the city. Yet it was in only 100 yards from the front
steps of AirSpace. Our journey terminated at a little green space opposite the
library. This experience simultaneously took us out of our comfort zones,
prepped us to work together and sited us in a new location. Also it allowed us
to see and experience the city in a new and different way. We each took turn to lead the walk, stopping
when we found a gap; at each gap we discussed and together suggested possible solutions.
Some of the observed gaps were empty
shops (and the type of shop), lack of green space (except the brownfield wildflower
meadows), the new bus-station and open’ public realm’ space. These gaps are not
welcoming or inhabitable, specifically the new seating.
The suggested solutions we discussed
included introducing more green space into the city and making the public realm
space more inhabitable. We further discussed different ways this could be done
effectively.
By
this time we were humming with the days’ events and it was a perfect time to
walk the city in silence led by Emily Speed.
I couldn’t
sleep that night as too many things were swimming round my head and I was thoroughly
looking forward to the next day’s events …
After
a night to reflect, on arrival at the gallery we discussed what we as
individual artists, thought the positives and negatives of the city were. This
activity made concrete our shared observations and underlined the essential areas
needed for reinvention/artist intervention.
Next
public realm curator Jennie Syson delivered an impressive and immersive presentation
of her work curating art outside of the gallery, and the trials and tribulation
of her practicing in that way.
I
found Jennie’s work and presentation incredibly simulating-again it was time to
act.
As a group we decided to produce a gesture of our musings, combining our 3 individual plans into one performative event (with planning consent posted). This gesture was a city picnic of sorts, which we could share with passers-by, enabling them to give their views of the city; enticing them into a dialogue, by way of an offering: food, flowers and a ‘comfortable’ seat. It was envisaged that this artist ‘seat’ intervention would draw attention to the recently sited, and arguably hostile, public realm seating - a pandemic of the contemporary city landscape across the country.
The
suggestion was that these seating adaptions could be a leasable, portable
solution to the problematic seating situation; making the entire city space
ready at any time for an impromptu picnic (a moment of relaxation), with the
intention of transforming the city into a more social space.
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