St Modwen And Bournville College Join Forces To Create Urban Art Gallery At Longbridge05/05/2010
St. Modwen has joined forces with Bournville College to create an urban art gallery along a prime stretch of hoarding bordering the A38 Bristol Road and Longbridge Lane.
The hoarding is positioned around the site of the new £66 million Bournville College, a key part of the £1 billion regeneration of the former MG Rover works at Longbridge. The 15-year redevelopment of Longbridge is being undertaken by Quinton-based developer St. Modwen and joint landowner Advantage West Midlands.
With the 88-week construction programme to deliver the new college well under way, its final year art students were tasked to working in partnership with St. Modwen’s design team to produce a portfolio of artwork. Selected works have now been displayed on the site hoardings to showcase the college’s diverse educational offering.
With the college on track to relocate to Longbridge in September 2011, students worked closely with St. Modwen to explore ways in which to establish the college, its staff and students as part of the local community. At this early stage in the build programme the hoardings were identified as a prime space which could be utilised to communicate the college’s progressive ethos and its wide range of curriculum.
Fiona Henderson, Head of Art and Design at Bournville College, said: "This was an excellent opportunity for students to work with professionals and produce expressive and creative artwork in a variety of genres. They were given the freedom to work in their chosen medium and to reflect their own personal artistic style, bringing their own imagination and creativity into reality. The final gallery of images makes a real statement about the new college and the breadth of opportunities it will offer to the local community."
Representing the first phase of the £100 million town centre proposed for Longbridge North, the new purpose-built 250,000 sq ft Bournville College consolidates the College’s existing three campuses. The six storey educational establishment will create a dynamic new learning environment for more than 15,000 students in both further and higher education.
Mike Murray, senior development surveyor for St. Modwen, said: “The new Bournville College is a crucial element in the creation of a sustainable new community at Longbridge, and it will perform a vital role in the education and training of a new generation of employees. We were therefore keen to engage with Bournville College’s existing students from the outset, to ensure they are aware of the future plans for their college and the wider regeneration of this key area of Birmingham.
"Developers often use hoardings for marketing messages; however involving the students in producing bespoke artwork for what is essentially an urban art gallery gave us the opportunity to make a real visual impact with this area of the site. The project also shows the importance both St. Modwen and Bournville College place on art in the community; and crucially, our approach provides a statement of intent with regards to the close working relationships St. Modwen hopes to build with future occupiers throughout the regeneration of Longbridge."
Longbridge is a £1 billion regeneration project spanning 468 acres. Over the next 15 years, the scheme is expected to create up to 10,000 new jobs and 2,000 new homes. An exemplar of sustainability, there will also be improved transport links alongside new community facilities and public space.
