Newly unveiled Newlands and Waterlooville artwork tells stories of the local area
A series of artworks capturing the personal experiences of people who live and work in Newlands and Waterlooville have been installed in the local area.
The Plot Lines programme, commissioned by Winchester City Council and funded by developer contributions, was led by public art specialists Studio Response. The project was all about gathering, listening to and sharing stories and anecdotes from people living in and near Waterlooville.
Plot Line’s writer in residence Aoife Mannix has been capturing experiences of the area’s local community, meeting with groups and individuals and getting to know their stories through interviews, talks and creative sessions. Throughout the programme, Aoife has been turning these stories into poems, excerpts of which are found on the artworks now on display.
Cllr Neil Cutler, Deputy Leader and Chair of the West of Waterlooville Forum said:
"I'm delighted to see the artworks installed across Newlands and Waterlooville. This is physical legacy of a superb community focused arts programme, connecting the spaces and celebrating the people and the area in a genuine way."
Over the course of the 18-month programme, five writers and Gail Howard, the project's community facilitator, have been working alongside Aoife to run events and workshops in Newlands and the surrounding areas, with almost 800 people getting involved, including 221 school children and residents from Wellington Vale Care Home, part of Cinnamon Care Collection.
The sessions have produced writing shaped by memories, belonging and home, culminating in three books that have been delivered through the doors of around 1,800 residents.
Volume One observed present-day Waterlooville, understanding the rhythms of the area, whilst Volume Two explored memory and the quiet details people hold onto as a place evolves over time. The final volume looked forward, speaking with young people about how they feel about where they live and what it means to them.
Councillor Lucille Thompson, Cabinet Member for Culture and Business at Winchester City Council, said:
“This series of books has the potential to become an enduring piece of social history of the area which can be enjoyed and tapped into by all, whether they are current residents or residents in the future. The artworks add a meaningful layer to the programme, physically connecting the development with the town centre through storytelling.”
Throughout Plot Lines, Gail has been working with groups and individuals to get to know the area, conducting over 200 community conversations, chatting to people on doorsteps and whilst out walking in the area. She also organised multiple events, attended fetes and meetings and took people on trips to see art in other places. This work not only enabled the Plot Lines team to physically map where activity is happening but has nurtured a group of community members that are happy to be consulted on future art projects.
The abstracted map, featured on the cover of each of the books, highlights locations where people are coming together and being creative. This map became the basis for the artworks, in which graphic designers SOUP created the varying geometric shapes by joining the mapped points together.
The locations of the panels are also informed by the programme, highlighting places that have been central to Plot Lines: Newlands Primary Academy, Wellington Vale Care Home, Waterlooville Library and Berewood Primary School. Once retired, artworks at other locations will be gifted to Newlands Primary Academy, who will look after the full set.
Plot Lines also supported the development of local artists, with four Hampshire-based artists working with writer development agency, ArtfulScribe, to provide mentoring to those involved.
