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West End Gardens Carnival Celebrations
To celebrate the completion of the West End Gardens we are holding a carnival on Saturday 8th September from 4pm – 8pm.
The event will make the most out of the new facilities in the gardens including the brand new public art features.
There will be lively carnival percussion style music from BayBeat, Hoptcha and Batala. Street entertainers (including Flying Colours and Jukalo) will be performing juggling acts, stilt walking, face painting and daring acts with fire. We hope you will come along and join us in this carnival celebration.
Local Pupils Design Prom Art
Heysham High School pupils have designed the five pieces of artwork sited in the newly redeveloped West End Gardens.
Six Sixth Form students have been working closely on their designs with experienced sculptor Stephen Broadbent. The design process involved the students visiting the site, looking at local history, learning about different materials, visiting Stephen’s workshop, and considering how the designs would complement the other facilities at the West End Gardens. Once the pupils had decided on their concepts they had to present their ideas to the project steering group.
The students based the designs on the natural elements of earth, wind, fire and water. The completed designs feature:
- A tidal clock with a cast bronze dome representing the earth and 8 smaller domes demonstrating the cycle of the moon around the earth. The changing tides are illustrated in resin bound glass.
- Steel trumpets which will capture the changing sounds of the wind.
- A frame to capture the fiery sunsets and also provides an informal seating area. A poem is carved into the frame and the various colours of the sunset decorate the border.
- A curved 3-meter stone and steel bench provide additional seating.
- A stainless steel fishing rod with steel cable line and hook with a bronze cast fish on the end of the line.
The high school students held a competition with the local primary schools to design some sea creatures that would feature in the fishing rod artwork. The winning designs were moulded into clay and the winner was chosen to work with an experienced sculptor to create the fish out of bronze, which will then be set into the ‘pond’ at the bottom of the ‘hook’.
Michael Waller, a student from Heysham High, on the design team said: “This is a unique opportunity for both us in the Sixth Form, and Morecambe as a whole”
Helen Ryan, Regeneration Officer for Winning Back Morecambe’s West End said: “The members of the Steering Group were extremely impressed with the enthusiasm and commitment of the students. They felt that the quality of their final designs both reflected the surroundings and would make a significant contribution to making the West End Gardens a great place for local people and visitors to spend time. The students dealt with the entire project in a professional manner and have even approached Birse; the contractors to fund the costs of the foundations to ensure that the project will be completed on budget.”
Helen Ryan, Regeneration Officer for Winning Back Morecambe’s West End said: “The members of the Steering Group were extremely impressed with the enthusiasm and commitment of the students. They felt that the quality of their final designs both reflected the surroundings and would make a significant contribution to making the West End Gardens a great place for local people and visitors to spend time. The students dealt with the entire project in a professional manner and have even approached Birse; the contractors to fund the costs of the foundations to ensure that the project will be completed on budget.”
The public artwork is part of the exciting £850,000 rejuvenation of the West End Gardens (between Regent Road and the Battery). Also featuring in the redevelopment is; a relaxing garden area; a raised area to enjoy the views over the bay; three separate playgrounds catering for aged 0 – 14yrs; a performance plaza and a water feature.
The redevelopment of the West End Gardens is funded by Winning Back Morecambe’s West End through the Local Area Agreement Cleaner Safer Greener element, European funding (ERDF) and SITA Landfill tax & Section 106 moneys from Heysham bus depot.
Streets Alive
A summer of great live music is coming to the West End.
This summer something different comes to Morecambe’s West End. Every Saturday around Yorkshire Street, some of the region’s most interesting musicians will be performing to liven up the popular shopping area, and bring regular performances back onto Morecambe’s streets.
Acts will include upbeat guitar ensemble Hoptcha!, all-girl swing jazz group Ruby in the Dust, folk trio Tabuka and many others.
The gigs start on 21st July and continue through August and into September between 11am and 2pm each Saturday, finishing with an event to celebrate the opening of the West End Gardens on Saturday the 8th of September which will take place from 4pm instead.
Streets Alive is a partnership project between Winning Back Morecambe’s West End and More Music.
For More info call More Music on 01524 831997 or email david@mormusic.net