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Published Delegated Executive Decisions

Welcome. This system contains information about published delegated executive decisions, including exemptions.

Decision Number: 0184 2014/15

Executive Portfolio:
Regeneration, Housing, Planning and Community Safety
Decision Number:
0184 2014/15
Exempt / Confidential Item:
No
Ward(s) Affected:
Town Centre
Declarations of Interest Received:
None
Title:
"Your Name Here" Proposal by Heart of Glass
Summary of Decision:
The Council supports the Heart of Glass "Your Name Here" project and permanently renames "Lyon's Yard" in accordance with the winning proposal
Proposed Decision:
The Council supports the Heart of Glass "Your Name Here" proposal and provides the location for all submissions to be delivered (The Planning Reception) including the instalation of a sign on the Town Hall to advertise the "Your Name Here" event. The Council will also allow the permanent renaming of the "Lyon's Yard" site (open space located between the Steve Prescott Bridge and the Sankey Canal) in accordance with the winning proposal
Summary of Reason for Decision:
To provide a major arts event which will increase participation in the arts in St.Helens
Reason for Decision:
Heart of Glass are a partnership (including the Council and led by St.Helens RLFC) funded by the Arts Council to promote increased participation with the arts within St.Helens. An Arts Council review of national participation in the arts identified St.Helens Borough as being in the bottom 20 Council areas within England. As a result St.Helens was given the opportunity to bid for funding to promote the arts. The bid was successful and led to the creation of “Heart of Glass”. Heart of Glass has plus 5 years funding remaining and has a varied program of activities. One proposal is “Your Name Here”. “Your Name Here” is a major new artwork by internationally renowned artist Joshua Sofaer developed through engaging the public of St Helens in an open competition to nominate an individual they think worthy of an accolade by submitting a short ‘biography’ or ‘portrait’ of their chosen nominee. Heart of Glass proposes to rename the site of Lyons Yard in St. Helens, in perpetuity; opened in a ribbon cutting ceremony and community fete which centres around a beautifully made ‘name plaque’ incorporating elements of the winning entry. Heart of Glass sees this site, which is at a key location between Langtree Park and the Town Centre adjacent to the Sankey Canal, becoming a hub of art activity through our ongoing programme. Artists from St Helens will collaborate with Joshua to deliver workshops with the public and in schools to create nominations in the form of a creative endeavour. The workshops will encourage submissions to the competition: music, visual art, video, oral history, and writing. As well as drawing out the themes of civic participation and a discussion of role models, the workshops will emphasise the important history of the area to be named. The park is at the northern reach of Sankey Canal, the first industrial canal in the UK. Opened in 1757 and extended in 1775 to transport raw materials into St Helens During the 6-week competition phase Heart of Glass would look to place a striking neon sign in the town centre with the statement Your Name Here. We would hope to site this sign over the Town Hall doors as an invitation to participate in this civic renaming of a space. They would furthermore invite the public to present their nominations to the town by delivering them to the Town Hall. The nominations will be put forward to and a winner will be chosen by a panel of judges, including Saints RLFC players, Johnny Vegas, Turner Prize Judge, Director of a National Art Institution and the Leader of the Council. The project will engage 300 workshop participants, 500 school children, attract 1000 entries, employ 8 artists (6 local to St Helens) and be attended by 150+ at its launch and subsequently over 20,000 through further arts programming. This project will be the first major commission of the Heart of Glass project and will provide the catalyst to promote their project with the wider St.Helens community. At present Lyons Yard is seen as an area of transit between the town centre and Langtree Park (both the Stadium and Tescos). The only regular users of the space are those who go fishing in the canal. It is hoped that this project will create a new identity for the area and ongoing art events will create an area that residents and employees within and adjacent to the town centre will chose to go to and maximize its potential.
Risks Associated with this Decision:
None
Measures to Redress Risk:
Anti Poverty / Human Rights / Agenda 21 Implications:
None
Attachments:
Please Contact Mark Dickens - Ext 6606 for more details.