The Media Workshop worked in partnership with the Friends of St James Park and Upper Shirley High School to create a large scale cut metal artwork for the new St James Park in Shirley, Southampton.

The project started with some inter-generational workshops with elderly members of the local community. Children from Upper Shirley High learnt oral history techniques and interviewed the older people about their memories of the park.  These memories were then used to develop ideas for the artwork. The Media Workshop ran photography and screen print workshops  at the school exploring the ideas which could be used for the final piece. Silhouettes were created which reflected the activities that have taken part in the park over time.

One particular story told by an elderly gentleman became very significant to the young people. Arthur House had met his sweetheart in the park (later to become his wife) at the age of 15. They would often meet and sit on a park bench. Later when Arthur was away during the war, his wife would go to the park and read his letters sat on their bench. When Arthur’s wife died, Arthur would often visit the park and sit on the bench reliving the memories of their happy life together. Arthur was therefore very sad when he visited the park and found the bench gone.

The students were particularly affected by this story and unbeknownst to Arthur decided to raise money within the school to have a bench in the new park dedicated to Arthur and Winnie (his wife) by means of a plaque. They were also very keen to have a bench portrayed in the in final art work.

The Media Workshop also spent a considerable amount of time consulting with the local community about their ideas for the artwork. Ideas included referencing the local flora and fauna, Victorian ironwork, Art Deco design and referring to the park’s past as a pasture land. All of which are included in the final design.

The final artwork was created using the waterjet cutting technique. A high powered stream of water is used to cut a silhouette out of 3mm aluminium sheets. Three large scale panels were cut, powder coated black and then placed together to form the final work which is now in place in the new park on the retaining wall of the zip wire.