19 February 2008
A new exhibition of artwork – Memory Ville - celebrating residents’ memories of life on the former Coalville National Coal Board estate at Weston Coyney, has opened at the Compendium Group Information Centre in Main Street.
Professional artist Louise Wood has worked with people from the area to help them create ceramic and other mixed media pieces based on their memories and experiences of living in the area and of the major regeneration scheme currently under way. Also on show at the exhibition will be a ceramic piece made by Louise and inspired by the estate and its residents.
Regeneration development company The Compendium Group, which is carrying out the Weston Heights regeneration scheme, co-ordinated the art workshops for residents. The exhibition will be open to the public at Compendium’s Main Street offices on 20 and 21 February, from 10am to 3pm, and on 22 February from 10am to noon.
The mixed media work made by residents includes mouldings of items such as house numbers and railings taken from homes on the estate. Old photographs have also been photocopied on to clay while residents’ memories also feature as text on photographic transparencies. Those taking part in the workshops included adults with learning disabilities and children.
Louise’s own artwork is a ceramic piece, around 80 centimetres high, which she made after extensive interviews with people in the community. The artist asked people to come forward with their memories by publishing an appeal in The Sentinel and also spent a day in the neighbourhood shop on Main Street talking to customers.
“They were really welcoming to me, and when they talked about life on the estate, everyone very much emphasised the friendliness of the community and how, for example, you never had to lock your door,” says Louise. “I wanted to capture this in my piece, so it has lots of doors, windows and drawers which people can look into and open. Because of the warmth I found in the community, I felt it was important not to make something that couldn’t be touched. The drawers and openings in the piece are also an image for the way we store up memories, sometimes opening up the drawer and exploring them.” The base of the ceramic piece is in the shape of a pithead A-frame in a reference to the former mining estate’s past.
“We’ve been working closely with local residents throughout the regeneration programme and it’s been great to be involved in Louise’s work as part of our community programme at Weston Heights,” says Compendium Group regeneration manager Neil Walker.
The art project is taking place as part of the Place, Space and Identity programme which enables artists to work with members of the public to produce work in response to the major changes taking place in North Staffordshire. The Place, Space and Identity programme is led by the Arts Council England West Midlands and co-funded by RENEW North Staffordshire.
Through the new Weston Heights development, The Compendium Group is building 283 new homes and refurbishing other existing houses at the former National Coal Board estate delivering a £55 million regeneration programme commissioned by RENEW North Staffordshire.