Each unfurling leaf bud green is a fragile lantern lit
Birds’ song echoes through clear sky while green grass lays so still
There is a universe in one grassy patch of spring

At the bridge I found a grey feather softly blowing

As shadows grow, long living beings cling to rays of setting sun
Snow when it comes will build palaces of ice on trees, branches, fields

Lines from renga poems composed by the people of Melbourn

The inspiration for the final art work comes from a year of workshops in which artist Jo Chapman has taken time getting to know local people and the local environment. The words above written by children and adults in poetry workshops with poet Clare Crossman will form part of the final pieces along with images from the different seasons.

The initial designs for a series of permanent artworks aim to be aesthetically intriguing, working with the natural forms of the meadow and are robust, simple in design and make maximum use of a modest budget. Text used comes from the renga poems and imagery from the structure of leaves, grasses and feathers, all of which were found and recorded on the meadows during workshops.

There will be three pieces hidden around the Medaows giving a beginning, middle and end to a walk through the Park. They will also be seasonal pieces, spring/summer; summer/autumn; autumn/winter reflecting the natural changes that take place in the Meadows over a year.

The concept is to have three towers that each use a single sheet of steel, which is laser cut and rolled in three different ways creating three different sizes. The towers will be placed at three sites around the meadows; suggested sites are currently the reed area by the boardwalk, the avenue of fruit trees and the small copse of ash trees. Advice for the location of art works has been taken from South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Ecology Officer.

Each tower will made from either mild steel, powder coated or corten weathering steel and will be sunk into the ground set in a concrete base. The towers will be intricately cut out with imagery taken form the natural structures of leaves, feathers and grasses and incorporating text from the poems, they will have a delicate appearance that allows light to fall through creating shadows and fragments of the landscape to be viewed through the artworks so that they become a part of it.

The opening ceremony for the artwork will be 3pm – 5pm on Saturday 7th May 2011, one year after the project commenced. Everyone is invited and a community tea party will be held with music and readings from the poems created. There will also be a publication of the poems and images and an audio CD of the poems for participants.

Melbourn Parish Council wish to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of the large number of local people engaged over the project. We hope that having 3 art works will create a lasting legacy, which will encourage people to spend time in and fully appreciate Melbourn’s natural heritage.

The images below include initial drawings and models. Please note that these are initial designs and may change during the fabrication process.

If you have any questions or comments about the designs, please contact Kirstin Bicknell, Arts Development Manager. Email kirstin@start-arts.org.uk phone 07770 643165