Arts & Interpretation Projects

Completed Projects

Romanesque Mosaic Community Arts Project
Location: Vines Park, Droitwich
School children from Droitwich worked with Alison Ogle, a local community artist to design and create a Romanesque mosaic for Vines Park. Alison delivered a number of drawing days with the three schools involved in the project, themed around the historic importance of Droitwich and the canal. The children were then involved in the making of the mosaic which was designed using the ideas from the drawing days. The Mosaic is now located in Vines Park.

Wych Barge Interpretation Feature
Location: Vines Park
Summer 2008 saw the installation of picnic seating and a visitor interpretation area in the shape of a Wych Barge in Vines Park. The Wych Barge was designed in close consultation with the community to recreate a full size Wych Barge through which people could find out about the local salt trade. Elements of the interpretation have been created with local groups such as Kingfields Day Centre and young people from the Droitwich Youth Centre. The barge was opened in April 2008.

Netherwich Community Arts Project
Location: Netherwich Tunnel
Young people from Droitwich Spa High School and Droitwich Youth Club worked with Richard Ellis, a local artist to create an outdoor interpretive feature for the railway bridges at Netherwich Basin. The young people were encouraged to design and create different shapes inspired by site visits and canal boat trips. The designs were transformed into metal plates to attach to the hand rails under the bridges and incorporated into a feature animating the dark and dingy bridges with light and colour. A film was also produced to document the project.

Current Projects

Community Mind Map Project
Location: Droitwich
The Community Mind Map project is currently in progress working with local people to research and document the history, traditions and memories of the Droitwich Canals and surrounding communities. Local people have been trained to make oral recordings of the memories and stories of residents and visitors connected to Droitwich and the canals. The findings will be documented in a number of ways including a booklet and CD Rom which will be a resource located in the Worcestershire archives. The booklet will be completed in January 2009 and will be available locally in a variety of public venues.

Hanbury Gateway Interpretation Project
Location: Hanbury Road - Junction Canal
The Hanbury Gateway Interpretation Project is to create innovative play and interpretation features for a new site near Hanbury (next to Droitwich Rugby Club) which will become the main gateway site to the Droitwich Canals. We have commissioned Richard Janes a professional artist, to work with local school children to design the play features for the site. Richard will facilitate design workshops with children to discover what play features they would like to use at the site and incorporate their ideas into the design of the final installation. The project is due to commence in November 2008.

Future Projects

Community Play Project
Location: Droitwich
The Community Play Project is to create and produce a play based on the histories, traditions and stories of the Droitwich Canals and surrounding communities. The project will work with stories and findings from the Community Mind Map Project and will involve a large number of local people. Local community groups and individuals will work with professional writers and directors to script and perform an innovative and exciting play which will engage with a wide audience of all ages. It is anticipated the play will be performed during the launch event for the overall restoration.

Porters Mill Interpretation Project
Location: Porters Mill
The Porters Mill Project is to create an interpretive sculpture / feature at Porters Mill, one of the primary gateway sites to the Droitwich Canals upon completion of the restoration. The sculpture / feature will interpret the historic importance of the Barge Canal and highlight it's distinctive qualities. It will also encourage people to explore the local countryside and landscape through a proposed circular walk which will begin at Porters Mill.