Public Art Steering Group Meeting

On 13th September, I attended my first Public Art Steering Group Meeting; it was very informative. The steering group comprises members of the design team, theatre representatives, people with arts backgrounds, academics and community representatives. The aim of the group is to realise the Public Art Strategy for Theatr Clwyd as part of the renovations.

“Our mission is to create and commission public art which is inspirational and inclusive. The public art strategy for the new building seeks to enhance Theatr Clwyd’s reputation as a beacon of artistic excellence and a home for their community.”

Quote taken from the Public Art Stage 4 report


Exploring the aims of the Public Art Programme as part of the renovations


The commissions are so varied: some will be artist-led and the group will approach artists who they feel their artwork fits the brief. Others will involve a “call out” process, where a brief is advertised for artists to explore an artwork that is either location led in the building or more widely socially engaged. It is a great opportunity for artists to react to the new spaces and involve the community to help create the artwork. 


The commissions process is an opportunity for the theatre to engage with local artists, the community, other theatre makers and artists further afield. It is also important for the theatre that the audience, for the artwork, are represented; that includes a diverse range of ages, backgrounds and even language. The theatre is located in Wales and Welsh does have a cultural importance nationally as well as locally. The theatre has identified the importance of the involvement of a diverse range of artists and types of artwork. That might be visual artists, sculptors, textile artists, architects, digital artists, performance art, designers, poets etc. 


One thing that really stuck out to me from the meeting was the paid residencies and payments to artists to explore/research their ideas. In normal cases, artists are unvalued and do not have the luxury of being paid to explore their designs for commissions. This is one way the theatre can ensure the artwork will be of the highest quality. It is another way the theatre can nurture the development of artwork from concept and design to the final piece. With the help of the project team, the artists will have the opportunity to involve the community, local groups and organisations.


Whilst all of the above are the aims, the theatre have identified 3 key concepts they would like to explore through the renovations:


  • Sustainability - the new build will help the theatre reduce its carbon footprint. The new building will greatly reduce the energy use and the materials used are being carefully sourced to reduce their impact. Sustainability can describe longevity; this would be interesting to explore in the future, the longevity of the artwork, resilience of the artwork and theatre as a whole etc.


  • Playfulness - people/audiences have an expectation that they are going to the theatre to enjoy themselves. Theatr Clwyd aspires to be a joyful and fun place for everyone. There is a hope that people (old and young) will engage with the building through play; encouraging learning/interaction and resulting in joy. This applies to the artworks being created: it is one way people can engage with the building.


  • Civic Engagement/community - the theatre does not want to be this big foreboding building on the hill, disconnected from the community it sits within. They want the community to be embedded in the artistic and organisational running of the theatre. Some of the commissions may even go out to consultation to increase the community engagement with the public art programme.


The group discussed several options for commissions with one being led by young people. It was decided a Youth Steering Group would be set up so that the user groups would have their say on the artwork for their space in the new building. That way they can decide whether to commission an artist to create the pieces for them or whether they would like to be involved in the creation too.



What I have learnt from attending the steering group is that the journey for the public art in spaces, at the theatre, is just as important as the final pieces. I will continue to write updates of that journey, my PhD research and the renovations as they take place.

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