New Prescot artwork to welcome, celebrate and inspire
Three new vibrant pieces of public art have been installed in Prescot to provide a warm and inspiring welcome to the town. The eye-catching installations are positioned on roundabouts at key gateway positions leading into and out of the town.
The artwork is part of the wider connectivity strategy for the town which saw bespoke inner gateway signs installed late 2020 and a family of new wayfinding signage installed across the town centre in early 2021.
This comprehensive wayfinding scheme is being implemented ahead of the opening of The Shakespeare North Playhouse in 2022, when thousands of new visitors are expected to visit the town every year. It is a key part of the council’s overall ambition to transform the town centre, making it an even more attractive and welcoming place for local residents and visitors.
The artwork is funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Local Growth Fund. Local Growth Funding is awarded to the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and invested through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund.
Artist, Martin Herron designed the artwork following extensive consultation with the local community. Two local primary schools have been involved, along with residents of The Watch Factory and a number of local community organisations. Discussions and presentations were held in public venues and community groups at Byer Road Community Centre, drop-ins at Prescot Library and public meetings in town centre cafes, pubs and restaurants during 2019.
Martin said:
“The Prescotians are great people and this has been one of my favourite projects for community involvement. I met so many fantastic folk of all ages and abilities, from school children and young people to the older generation, to share thoughts and ideas as to what the artworks could be.
It was great to have a blank canvas and the community had so many ideas and it was the main themes around the town’s rich heritage that were developed to create the final concepts.
I’ve worked in many places and communities to develop artworks that become part of that town, village and city. The warm welcome that I received when I came to Prescot and the way people got involved and shaped their artworks will stay with me forever. Such pride, such ambition and such optimism for the regeneration of their town. As well as feeding into the design of the artworks themselves, people spoke about wanting them to be bigger to have a really positive impact at the important gateways to Prescot.”
There were key themes that emerged from the consultation, particularly Prescot’s rich industrial heritage, a strong sense of community and history.
Key aspects centre around Prescot’s industrial and craftmanship past, including watch and clock making, tool making, local coal mining, pottery, and the well-known British Insulated Wire Company / British Insulated Callander’s Cables (BICC) to name but a few.
And of course, Shakespeare and the crafting of stories plays a strong role from Edward Lear and his time at Knowsley Hall, to the Earls of Derby’s connections to Shakespeare which sets the scene for the new Shakespeare North Playhouse being built in the town today.
Colour is used extensively throughout the works, influenced by the wiring and the colours of the protective coatings used both historically and in the modern day. These colours are echoed throughout each gateway site. The aim of all the artworks is to welcome, to celebrate, to illustrate and to inspire.
The final artworks will reflect the heritage, the stories and importance of Prescot on the world stage.
Cllr Tony Brennan, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development said: This is just another fantastic milestone in the regeneration of Prescot town centre and its readiness to welcome visitors from across the world. I’d like to thank everyone who took time to share their thoughts and ideas for these installations through community workshops and drop-ins. They should feel enormous pride that they have helped to create something which will stand in this town for many, many years to come.
Mariangela Hankinson, who took part in the design process on behalf of the Community Curators group said: “It’s amazing to see these works of art come to life. Being involved in the design process with so many other members of te community means that I feel a real sense of pride and ownership in these works. Martin really listened to us in terms of what we felt was important about our town and how we wanted that to be represented. I’m delighted that they are finally here and I can tell my friends and family for years to come that I played a part in making them!”
Where can you see the artworks?
At the Liverpool Road / M57 roundabout the artwork will set the stage to announce a vibrant and creative Prescot to visitors. It will include a watch design based on work produced at The Watch Factory.
At the A57 Liverpool Rd / M57/ Kings Drive roundabout a larger than life cable will protrude from the ground, the explosion of colour displaying a dramatic welcome to Prescot and the start – or end of – an exciting trip to Prescot.
At the A58/ St Helens Road roundabout there will be a stack of colourful cable reels representing the cultural and industrial heritage of Prescot