PORT-INSPIRED COMMUNITY ARTWORK COMING TO SOUTHWICK RAILWAY STATION
PORT-INSPIRED COMMUNITY ARTWORK COMING TO
SOUTHWICK RAILWAY STATION
Shoreham Port has been working with young Concordia volunteers and a community artist in their Visitor Centre this week to create a community artwork in conjunction with Sussex Community Rail Partnership, who aim to connect railway stations with their local communities. The artwork will be installed in Southwick Railway Station’s underpass tunnel by Pilbeam Construction in the coming weeks to spruce up the station and to celebrate the history and future of the Port, which is at the heart of the local community.
The volunteers, all aged 17 years and under, volunteered for the project as part of their National Citizen Service (NCS) programme organised by the Concordia charity, an NCS local delivery partner and registered charity that promote voluntary work both nationally and globally.
Fiona Callender, Head of Volunteering at Concordia commented “This is the second arts project we have worked on with Shoreham Port and Sussex Community Rail Partnership, and we are delighted with how it has evolved. Our volunteers have continued to build a variety of life skills throughout their NCS programme and their confidence has clearly grown this week as they have nurtured their creativity. The community artwork has not only allowed our young volunteers to learn about their local Port, but to also contribute to its legacy.”
Over 30 local young volunteers printed 144 Port-themed tiles through a series of workshops run by local Consultant & Artist Educator, Charlotte Cranidge. The tiles take inspiration from Delft tiles, created using a Chinagraph technique - which involves mono printing on to tissue paper which is then applied on to a tile and then vanished. The young volunteers enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of the Port and access to copies of rarely seen historical photo’s from the Port’s archive. The volunteers also spent a day brightening up the station tunnel with a deep-clean and paint, ensuring that it is ready for the installation of the tiles.
Emily Kenneally, Communications Manager at Shoreham Port commented “We are keen to teach young people about the importance of the maritime sector and to share the many exciting projects, such as our new environmental initiatives, currently underway at the Port. It has been excellent working in conjunction with the volunteers this week and we hope that the artwork will have a long-lasting impact for those who commute through Southwick Railway Station everyday – perhaps even giving them a chance to stop and take a moment to discover another aspect of their dynamic local port.”