Title: Willingham Art Bus Stop Project - Bringing Back the Flowers and Make your Mark

Date: 2007/8

Dimensions: 3.9 x 2.8 x 1.9 m approx

Location: Willingham High Street, South Cambridgeshire

Description: A memory of Willingham; an abundance of exotic fruits, trains full of flowers setting off for London and the Midlands, and pink Pyrethrum daisy fields as far as the eye can see!

As well as being a prominent flower growing community, Willingham used to be a hub for willow growing and hive making. Bee keeping was crucial to the continued success of local crops, so it seems only fitting that the new art bus stop takes inspiration from this tradition.

Artist Zoë Chamberlain designed the bus stop to take the form of a wing canopy, giving an element of shelter in the restricted bus stop location. The project has relied on an active steering group representing a partnership between Willingham Parish Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council. It has also been made possible thanks to the input and involvement of local residents at every stage, from development of initial design ideas through to installation.

To celebrate the new bus stop Willingham Parish Council invite local people to get involved with the Bringing Back the Flowers community planting project. Funded by O2 in the community fund, the project hopes to be a catalyst encouraging more residents to bring the flowers back to Willingham.

To find out more contact John Burnett on 01954 270338.

When taking on the bus stop project, lead artist Zoë Chamberlain was set the task of creating something contemporary to celebrate aspects of Willingham’s past whilst appealing to both young and old. As well as looking at the physical limitations of the bus stop site Zoë had to consider how people might use it by day and night, and what impact it might have on the immediate neighbours.

The final designs include some discrete floor lighting that is set into the paving. In February 2008 young people from Willingham were invited to make their mark by creating designs to be digitally transferred onto these floor lights. The Connections Bus, which visits Willingham every week, opened its doors for two youth arts workshops lead by graphic designer Dan Donovan. During these sessions the young people learn about the history of the village as a flower growing and bee keeping community, using this to inform their designs.

The designs can be found at the bus stop site, and also on badges, postcards and specially produced shopping bags promoting Willingham. The limited edition bags are available to local residents. For more information contact the Parish Council 01954 261027.

Materials: Urbis Noctis groundlights with designs encapsulated within.

Funded by: David Wilson Homes, SCDC, Awards For All, O2

Organised by: South Cambridgeshire District Council and Willingham Parish Council

Project Background: In 2004 South Cambridgeshire District Council adopted a planning policy requiring landowners to commission artists as part of the creation of new developments. Developers unable to manage such schemes as part of the master planning process can contribute a financial sum, normally through a planning obligation (or section 106) agreement, for a public art scheme for the benefit of local residents.

The strategy has developed a number of artistic interventions in communities across Cambridgeshire. The aim to build a unique identity and atmosphere, encouraging the community to engage with, and take care and ownership of their environment, contributing to dynamic and high quality public spaces.

On this basis, as part of the Manor Farm development off Willingham High Street, David Wilson Homes agreed an index-linked contribution. The involvement of local people on such schemes is a key to success and the Parish Council have set up the Willingham public art steering group to manage the project alongside the work of the Project art worker from Start Arts.

Like worker bees sweeping up pollen from one flower to another, the 15A bus departs Willingham with commuters from just another Cambridgeshire bus stop…or is it?

On closer inspection, this bus stop is definitely no ordinary stop; in fact, it is the product of a creative partnership between artist Zoë Chamberlain and Willingham Parish Council.

The artist was offered the opportunity of designing a bus stop feature with local relevance for the village. Enchanted by the historical association of Willingham’s flower growing and bee keeping traditions, Zoë focused on the relationship between routes the bees used when moving from village to village and the journeys made by local workers on their way to work.

The bus stop – with a metal main structure and polycarbonate wing feature -incorporates a sweeping roof inspired by traditional canopy design, a creative and practical solution to the brief.

With thanks to Old Willingham website for supplying a wealth of resources and allowing use of images.

www.louisewatson.co.uk