LOCAL SCHOOL CHILDREN FLAG UP REGENERATION IN POOL

As local and national regeneration agencies work hand in hand to develop plans to transform Camborne, Pool and Redruth into a vibrant and thriving area, a true taster of the spirit of transformation currently underway was unveiled today (22 March) as items of community art at the corner of Trevenson road and Dudnance Lane were hoisted into place.

The disused area of land at the gateway to Pool has been transformed into a vibrant temporary art display of seven, 4.9 by 3.5 metre flags thanks to the creative skills of 250 ten and eleven year old pupils from six local primary schools.

The site was acquired for redevelopment by English Partnerships, the Government's National regeneration agency, for its prime position at the gateway to Pool. By the end of 2006 the land will be used to build a mixed use development. In the meantime the bright and colourful display of flags is set to lift the appearance of the site and demonstrate to passers-by how the regeneration plans for the area are being embraced by the local community.

The project has been organised by Jane Locke from the area's urban regeneration agency CPR Regeneration and is a joint initiative with English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency. The artwork used on the flags and the extracts of poetry on the hoardings below were created especially for the project by local school children, which was co-ordinated with the help of the local education action zone, CPR Success Zone.

David Warburton, English Partnerships' Area Director, and URC Board Member said, "Once regenerated into a mixed use development, the Trevenson Road corner site will be an important step in lifting this area still further. The temporary art installation is a great way of quickly and simply adding visual interest to the site as a taster of the regeneration to come. Well done to the local children for doing such a fantastic job!”

David Brewer, Chair of CPR Regeneration who organised the project said, “I'm really proud of what the children have achieved as their work now creates a great point of focus at the entrance to Pool, symbolising the bright future ahead for the area.

“CPR Regeneration works to actively engage local schools in the regeneration of the area and through this project it is wonderful to see how the creativity and imagination of the students has been harnessed to represent how they see the future of their area.”

The creative process to develop the artwork and poetry for the project started last November when pupils visited the site with Poet Bob Devereaux. This was followed up by sessions at the schools with three local artists Geraldine Wallace, Christopher Nixon and Stacey Abel, who held workshops with the year five and six students to design the artwork for three sets of seven large silk flags, to be changed with the seasons, and the hoarding below.


It has taken St Just artist Lucy Birbeck, who specialises in making handmade silk flags, three weeks to copy the selected pieces of the students' artwork onto the 21 flags.

As an acknowledgement of the hard work by the 250 pupils involved in the project, the name of each participating pupil has been listed on the hoardings below the flag. The participating schools the area have been Rosemellion School, Roskear School, St John's Catholic primary School and Trevithick School, all in Camborne and Pencoys School and Treloweth School in Redruth.

The hoardings have been designed so that once the redevelopment of the corner site gets underway, the display can be moved, in a reduced form if necessary, to a new site which has been acquired for regeneration.

Malcolm Moyle, County Councillor and chair of Carn Brea Parish Council said, “It is absolutely fantastic to see the creative talents of local school children put on show in such a fitting tribute to the future of the area. The location of the flags now creates a fantastic welcome at the gateway to Pool.”

Local Member of Parliament and CPR Board member Candy Atherton MP said, “This will be a great symbol of the regeneration of Pool and everyone involved from the local communities to English partnerships and the URC are to be congratulated.”

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

CPR Regeneration is Cornwall's Urban Regeneration Company set up to bring prosperity back to Camborne Pool and Redruth. It is one of nineteen urban regeneration companies in the UK. The URC's mission is to re-establish Camborne Pool and Redruth as a place of innovation, quality and wealth that will be the engine of change for Cornwall in the 21st Century.
The URC brings together funding partners, stakeholders and the private sector to focus investment and to deliver “joined up” regeneration projects. CPR Regeneration's funding partners are Cornwall County Council, English Partnerships, Kerrier District Council, the Objective One Partnership for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and the South West Regional Development Agency.
The URC is bringing forward a Ł150m investment plan for the area and has defined 15 key project headings which it aims to deliver in the next six years.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Jason Clark
Deborah Clark & Associates
tel: 01872-276276 or 07980-834368
jason@dclark.co.uk

Dr Tim Williams
Chief Executive
CPR Regeneration
tel: 01209-722099

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