Sunflower Dog & Rainbow Bench: Angmering 2020/21

Our first project exploring youth engagement and learning through public art was being run in partnership with Angmering School, Pallant House Gallery and local engineering firm SI Protech, with support from the Full STEaM Ahead programme from Coastal West Sussex LEP. This project is jointly funded by Artswork with Arun District Council through S106 contributions and supported by Angmering Parish Council.

Between Autumn 2020 and Spring 2021 we ran a series of workshops with 2 Year 9 art classes at The Angmering School, blended online and in person due to the covid epidemic. Commissioned artist Tim Ward explored the role and function of art in public spaces and supported students to develop their ideas related to the history and character of the local area. Pallant House ran a workshop looking at the diversity of public art across the UK. Students worked in teams to develop 3D models of their designs mentored by engineering firm SI Protech.

20 designs were created by students and put to a public vote in the community alongside being assessed by a panel of judges. The portfolio of the students designs can be viewed here.

The winning design – Sunflower Dog & Rainbow Bench – was then fabricated by a team overseen by the artist Tim Ward and installed in the parish.

In October 2021, students and staff from the Angmering School alongside Parish and District councillors , parents and members of the community gathered to celebrate the launch of the new sculpture outside Angmering Community Centre.