Making plaster casts from the designs

Design workshops with the artist

New cherry trees planted on The Link

9 new cherry trees were planted on the Link in 3 groups of 3 different varieties

3 x pale pink cherry trees (prunus pandora)

3 x double white cherry trees (prunus avium plena)

3 x dark pink cherry trees (prunus kanzan)

Tree planting with children from the local primary schools

Measuring up and looking at ideas for the bollards

Site visit with project artist Jim Roberts

Local industrial history ideas for the art workshops

Design Materials and Ideas from Lascelles and Eastbourne Link Project Sub-Group

Research and design ideas have now been collected for the artist showing local industrial and heritage links which could be incorporated into the artwork. These ideas were discussed at the last sub-group meeting and references and photographs about local employers mentioned below are available:

• Cleveland Bridge


• Cummins Engines


• Paton and Baldwin


• Darlington Railway

Members would like to see the main part of the bollards quite plain but have some artwork incorporated as indented or small raised designs that can be seen and felt on the top or sides of each piece. These elements could then be enjoyed in a variety of ways eg:

• as a piece of unusual local artwork that acts as a barrier,


• act as an interesting story and exploration trail


• as an industrial or employment history timeline of Darlington,


• as a source of local pride for intergenerational discussions about past and present working lives


• as a series of textures for rubbings that could be enjoyed by passers-by, families, children and visually impaired people.


• similar designs could also be used for the artwork on the signs to be placed at either end of the new path across the Link.

Two community art workshops with the project artist are being organised in the local area during February 2011 and children from the local schools, the play rangers group, the Youth Service and members of the local community will be invited to take part and give their ideas for the project artwork. The sub-group would like to have some of the input from these groups to be included as part of the final design if possible.

If there is enough funding available, the sub-group would like to have information or interpretation boards at either end of the Link project area which would give visitors an overview of the artwork design and explain why it has been chosen.

February 2011

Drawing up an Artists Brief with Kate from the Arts Team

Meeting to agree the final Artist Brief October 2010


The sub-group members had a meeting with Kate Gascoigne from the Arts Team to talk about what should be included in the artists brief for producing the decorative bollards and the signposts. After looking at all the sub-group meeting minutes, the information from public consultations about the project and a discussion of everyone's ideas, the final brief included the following things:

• The bollards or barriers need to be interesting objects for the community to enjoy as they pass by
• The designs should incorporate elements of the industrial & manufacturing heritage of Darlington
• Some designs could include nature and wildlife elements to reflect the green aspects of the area
• The designs should include some raised elements for people of all ages and abilities to explore
• The group would like the chosen artist to be working in the northern region if possible
• The chosen artist will run 2 art workshops to include ideas from members of the local community