WBRC announces open call to community to help dress town centre building
Earlier this year, Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company (WBRC) chose excellent young artist, architect and designer Shiraaz Ali to develop an art commission to dress the façade of the Sandhurst Block, the former main battalion building which sits in the new town centre.
Shiraaz won an open call to artists with his submission that focused on re-wilding Whitehill & Bordon by establishing a living green wall on the central façade of the Sandhurst Block. The vertical garden will be bookended by wraps featuring Shiraaz’s illustrative designs, as well as ‘secret garden’ hoardings running along the boundary of the building, all of which come together to create a piece of art that celebrates nature, community and the generations of the future.
An important part of Shiraaz Ali’s vision is that the artwork is in part designed by the people it is made for. The planned artwork features over 50 panels that will be created by the Whitehill & Bordon community. Using paint, pencils, collage, photography or any other medium, local residents can be part of the vision and make a mark on their community by submitting their artwork to be included.
James Child, Project Lead at WBRC, said:
“Our vision for the town centre is to create a bold and inviting destination that welcomes innovation and inclusion and embraces its local heritage and natural environment, which is reflected in full in Shiraaz Ali’s artistic concept and designs for the Sandhurst Block façade. We are keen to use this catalyst to tap into the creativity of our local public and offer the chance for all to engage with this project. We can’t wait to install something that our local residents have helped to create and that we can all take pride in.”
WBRC is asking for artwork submissions to be entered by 24th May. Submissions should be at 300dpi and at a size of 420x594mm and should be sent to [email protected].
Shiraaz is holding a free, drop-in workshop at the Beehive on Friday 7th May from 2pm-5pm, where he will help visitors bring their designs to life. Drop in to tap into your creativity, and to find out more about the installation and plans for the town centre.
The Sandhurst Block is a key phase of the transformational Whitehill & Bordon town centre project, a large-scale phased development over a period of around 4 years. The town centre is already starting to take shape, with the much-anticipated opening of The Shed on May 29th, as well as the recent opening of the Everyone Active leisure centre with it s six lane swimming pool, fitness centre and studios, and there are even more entertainment, leisure, health and retail options in the pipeline.
For more information about The Shed visit: www.theshedwb.com