Holywood Arts Trust - Bangor and Holywood TCM

HISTORY OF HOLYWOOD and HOLYWOOD ARTS TRUST

Holywood is North Down’s jewel in the crown. It’s a town with a rich and diverse heritage. The establishment of a monastic settlement in the 7^th century at the site of the Old Priory Church was when the first recorded reference to Holywood was made. In the mid-19^th century, when the railway was extended along the North Down coastline, Holywood became the residence of choice for Belfast’s industrial elite who built magnificent mansions in the High Hills surrounding the town. Today, in acknowledgement of the architecture of that era, much of the town has been designated a conservation area. Holywood is also proud that its maypole is the only surviving one in Ireland and is still used as part of a community spring festival on May Day.

Holywood Arts Trust

Holywood Arts Trust was set up as a charitable organisation in 2003 with the aim of introducing, through open competition, new public artworks to the town and the surrounding area and to improve the community’s knowledge and appreciation of the arts. It’s hoped that this long-term public arts programme will assist with the regeneration of Holywood as a vibrant town renowned for speciality shopping and a thriving arts and crafts centre.

The Trust draws its membership from various groups including Holywood Residents Association, Holywood Conservation Group, Holywood Chamber of Commerce, Bangor & Holywood Town Centres Ltd and local government representatives. The Trust has pursued funding opportunities from both the private and public sectors and gratefully received a donation from the developers of Holywood Exchange to commission a “public art strategy document”. The Trust also received grant aid from North Down Borough Council’s “Arts Grants Scheme.”

The Process

In 2004 Holywood Arts Trust successfully obtained a grant from the National Lottery “Awards for All” scheme to advertise an ‘Open Submission Competition’ to draw up a short list of selected artists and their proposals for a number of public artworks throughout Holywood Town Centre and to begin the commissioning process for the first public art work.

The Trust publicised its competition by placing advertisements in specialist arts magazines and in local and national newspapers. The Lottery funding was also used to assess all practical implications including planning permissions for the artwork and site preparation.

After a strenuous assessment process the proposal by Timothy Shutter, a renowned stone sculptor from Hackney, London, was commissioned by the Trust for its first public artwork in Holywood town centre since Rosamond Praeger’s ‘Johnny the Jig’ in the 1950’s.

Tim’s artwork “The Pillars of Holywood” takes inspiration from the works of the renowned 20^th century Holywood naturalist and historian Robert Lloyd Praeger and his sister the eminent sculptress Sophia Rosamond Praeger. In his art work Tim has created a small fantasy of an alternate reality, a Holywood within Holywood, where the gateposts of the big houses, long since gone, are appropriated for miniature buildings, just like the many small plots of lands in the grounds of large houses in Higher Holywood that have been sold and built upon.

In March 2006 a successful application was made to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery Public Art Programme in support of the Trust’s commissioning of the “Pillars of Holywood.” The Trust also received a public art grant from North Down Borough Council and an in-kind donation from Tesco for the Pillars.

Holywood Arts Trust is also indebted to a number of major private donators and sponsors namely: Sainsburys; The Kerr Art Group; Holywood Chamber of Commerce; Brian W Murray Ltd, Povall Worthington and BTW Cairns. The Trust is also appreciative of the support of the local community.

Project Management

The Town Centre Management Office and the Arts Officer for North Down Borough Council have managed the project.

Location

The Trust determined that the best site to locate the first piece of public art was at the front of Holywood Library (formerly the Sullivan School) in the centre of Holywood. Again, the Trust is grateful to the South Eastern Education & Library Board for granting the Trust permission to locate the “Pillars of Holywood” on their land.

By May 2007 all of the necessary Lottery Funding conditions of grant including planning permission and Listed Building Consent were met and the Trust was able to instruct the artist to begin the project. By September the first blocks of Dunhouse sandstone, similar to that used in the Library’s façade, were delivered to the artist for sculpting and by January 2008 the “Pillars of Holywood” were ready to be installed at the entrance to Holywood Library.



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			HISTORY OF HOLYWOOD and HOLYWOOD ARTS TRUST Holywood is North Down’s jewel in the crown. It’s a town with a rich and diverse heritage. The establishment of a monastic settlement in the 7^th century at the site of the Old Priory Church was when the first recorded reference to Holywood was made. In the mid-19^th century, when the railway was extended along the North Down coastline, Holywood became the residence of choice for Belfast’s industrial elite who built magnificent mansions in the High Hills surrounding the town. Today, in acknowledgement of the architecture of that era, much of the town has been designated a conservation area. Holywood is also proud that its maypole is the only surviving one in Ireland and is still used as part of a community spring festival on May Day. Holywood Arts Trust Holywood Arts Trust was set up as a charitable organisation in 2003 with the aim of introducing, through open competition, new public artworks to the town and the surrounding area and to improve the community’s knowledge and appreciation of the arts. It’s hoped that this long-term public arts programme will assist with the regeneration of Holywood as a vibrant town renowned for speciality shopping and a thriving arts and crafts centre. The Trust draws its membership from various groups including Holywood Residents Association, Holywood Conservation Group, Holywood Chamber of Commerce, Bangor & Holywood Town Centres Ltd and local government representatives. The Trust has pursued funding opportunities from both the private and public sectors and gratefully received a donation from the developers of Holywood Exchange to commission a “public art strategy document”. The Trust also received grant aid from North Down Borough Council’s “Arts Grants Scheme.” The Process In 2004 Holywood Arts Trust successfully obtained a grant from the National Lottery “Awards for All” scheme to advertise an ‘Open Submission Competition’ to draw up a short list of selected artists and their proposals for a number of public artworks throughout Holywood Town Centre and to begin the commissioning process for the first public art work. The Trust publicised its competition by placing advertisements in specialist arts magazines and in local and national newspapers. The Lottery funding was also used to assess all practical implications including planning permissions for the artwork and site preparation. After a strenuous assessment process the proposal by Timothy Shutter, a renowned stone sculptor from Hackney, London, was commissioned by the Trust for its first public artwork in Holywood town centre since Rosamond Praeger’s ‘Johnny the Jig’ in the 1950’s. Tim’s artwork “The Pillars of Holywood” takes inspiration from the works of the renowned 20^th century Holywood naturalist and historian Robert Lloyd Praeger and his sister the eminent sculptress Sophia Rosamond Praeger. In his art work Tim has created a small fantasy of an alternate reality, a Holywood within Holywood, where the gateposts of the big houses, long since gone, are appropriated for miniature buildings, just like the many small plots of lands in the grounds of large houses in Higher Holywood that have been sold and built upon. In March 2006 a successful application was made to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery Public Art Programme in support of the Trust’s commissioning of the “Pillars of Holywood.” The Trust also received a public art grant from North Down Borough Council and an in-kind donation from Tesco for the Pillars. Holywood Arts Trust is also indebted to a number of major private donators and sponsors namely: Sainsburys; The Kerr Art Group; Holywood Chamber of Commerce; Brian W Murray Ltd, Povall Worthington and BTW Cairns. The Trust is also appreciative of the support of the local community. Project Management The Town Centre Management Office and the Arts Officer for North Down Borough Council have managed the project. Location The Trust determined that the best site to locate the first piece of public art was at the front of Holywood Library (formerly the Sullivan School) in the centre of Holywood. Again, the Trust is grateful to the South Eastern Education & Library Board for granting the Trust permission to locate the “Pillars of Holywood” on their land. By May 2007 all of the necessary Lottery Funding conditions of grant including planning permission and Listed Building Consent were met and the Trust was able to instruct the artist to begin the project. By September the first blocks of Dunhouse sandstone, similar to that used in the Library’s façade, were delivered to the artist for sculpting and by January 2008 the “Pillars of Holywood” were ready to be installed at the entrance to Holywood Library.

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