The unveiling of artwork along the River Welland is the start of a programme ‘to make Spalding a more interesting place’.
Spalding Reconnected includes a host of measures designed to attract people to the town’s waterway.
As well as new furniture alongside the river, more plants have been put in to attract wildlife.
And after putting on workshops in the community, Transported Arts last week unveiled its ‘Riverside Walk’ artworks.
Nick Jones the director of Transported Arts said: “This is the start of the ambition of regenerating the town and making it a more interesting place to live and visit while helping to find a way of contributing to the local economy.
“The package of projects has been funded by the Heritage Lottery with the ambition of Reconnecting Spalding 2025 with some aspects of its history and the people that live and visit Spalding.
“They had so many stories to tell and about the river as a wildlife haven and jewel in the towns landscape crown that has perhaps been forgotten.”
Other that have been inolved include East Mercia Rivers Trust, South Holland District Council, Lincolnshire County Council Heritage Lincolnshire, the Holbeach Arts Outreach Group and Tonic Health.
At the unveiling, music and dance came courtesy of local musicians, the Kesteven Morris Dancers and the Spalding Community Choir performed around the sculptures in Ayscoughfee Hall Museum.
More signage for the riverside is due to be put up in the coming weeks.
“It will help connect visitors and residents to Spalding’s town jewels and stories and help them navigate around the town,” Nick said.
Among the groups to be involved were the Holbeach Arts Outreach Group, Tonic Health, the Kesteven Morris Dancers and the Spalding Community Choir performed around the sculptures in Ayscoughfee Hall Museum.
Tulip Talk with Jan Whitbourn.
A good morning to go and meet the team at the new ‘riverwalk’ installations in Spalding to hear and see the exciting initiative Transported Arts have all been working on.
It was well presented and so many people turned out to see the wonderful work that has been completed.
Nick Jones, co-director of the Arts Council-funded Transported Creative People and Places programme greeted us all on a cold mizzling morning.
He thanked everyone for being there, especially for helping to mark this stage of their Spalding Reconnected project.
On a project like The Riverwalk, he knew it was important that he acknowledged everybody who had made it possible, especially ‘the funders’ as we all know how difficult that can be.
Nick talked about all the good work everyone had been undertaken in the area for around 10 years, and how their remit is essentially to devise projects that encourage more people to get involved, those who enjoy art and creativity.
He led a very interesting talk about the Riverwalk project which was just one element of the overall Spalding Reconnected project which included, creation of a Heritage Strategy to underpin future projects and funding, and riverside environmental enhancements by East Mercia Rivers Trust to improve the wildlife ecology.
Nick talked about the creation of illustrated ways for markers to guide visitors to some of the town’s attractions and heritage highlights.
Their project, ‘The Riverwalk’, which from the outset included extensive creative consultation to make sure they were capturing and reflecting the views, preferences and ideas of local residents.
They ran arts activities, drawing, stone painting, origami, willow weaving, chalk drawing, face painting on the river side in the market place, making art and asking people how they feel about the river.
Consultations included questions about what they valued, what they thought could be improved, and how the town’s heritage could contribute to future projects to make the place better and more appreciated.
Nick went on to talk about the individual outcomes, the strategy, habitat enhancements and signage, and one of the most important points, partnership working, between agencies and organisations.
The whole project started with a council organised walk for community organisations to identify areas that needed improving and areas, like the river, which needed more investment and appreciation.
The next step was to draw together the expertise, experience, and capacity involved to take some of those priorities forward via officers for the East Mercia Rivers Trust, South Holland District Council officers, Lincolnshire County Council, Heritage Lincolnshire and Transported all took part.
The partnership also reached out to an advisory group from the community and specialist organisations.
We all look forward to seeing ‘The Trail’ being unveiled, designed as a deliberate addition to the Portrait of a Town series by Joseph Hiller, the first MARK-IT themed co-commission.
Transported undertook this initiative with Spalding and District Civic Society and is especially linked to the Spalding Gentlemen’s society ARTeFACT Trail.
Both feature low relief intaglio designs.
Nick thanked Jamie Hawker who created the stone Artworks in a creative partnership with Emily Cartwright.
The Riverwalk Way markers are designed to be subtle additions to the walking experience created by the growing willow artworks.
Both were designed and sited to make reference to the architectural features in the area, encouraging people to look up and enjoy the curves, arches and bridges along the route.
It was amazing to see what they had done and I must say it was lovely to walk around them and take pictures of the wonderful stone work, unveiled by numerous people who had helped to do the work and designs.
I especially enjoyed ‘The Willow Artworks’ which were created by Alison Walling with local residents and groups after taster sessions in the town. We all loved the woven willow.
Apparently, this is just the start. It is all planted and will grow and each year someone will revisit to weave new growth into the structures so they evolve and get stronger.
Local artist Liz Kelleher joined the Riverwalk party.
She brought a whole new level of creative activity and community engagement to the programme, explaining about her time in the project involving community workshops.
Her part in this story reflects the core purpose of the project, not just doing things, but changing things for the better with brilliance and enthusiasm.
Liz said: “I wanted this to be a community engagement project to ensure more people were involved in the project.
“We decided on making banners by Robbie King to mark the occasion which would be a decorative addition to the other artworks and continue the story telling theme.
“He worked with The Gentlemen’s Society to come up with the design”
The artists appreciate the fabric of the riverside, its folds, its quirky architecture, curved windows, and bridges that inspired the shapes of the willows and tops of the way markers.
Nick pointed out the structures of the buildings around us and told us all about the history, eels gathering to feed on the spilled yeast enriched washings from the beer barrels at the brewery across the way, and especially of fond childhood memories of near forgotten times eel fishing here in the town.
