12 March 2008

Where should public art be on display in Guildford Borough and what kind of themes would you like to see? The Council is asking people to have their say on what they think makes great public art as part of an online consultation.

Cllr Jen Powell, Lead Councillor for People and Partnership encourages people to take part: “Public art takes many forms and helps to enhance our enjoyment of the visual environment, making the borough a more beautiful place to work and play. We’d like to find out what people would like to see and how they’d like to be involved in future projects.”

The consultation will help form the basis of a Public Art strategy which will plan future projects and look at ways to involve the community in public art. Public art should always be something that the public can experience freely. It can include schemes as diverse as the lighting project by the Town Wharf, exhibitions, performances and carnivals.

Most of the public art around Guildford Borough is funded privately through a scheme called Percent for Art. Percent for Art receives monies from companies building large developments in the area which is used towards developing public art.  Other projects are funded through legacies, trusts and foundations and occasionally through public funds.

To get involved in the Public Art consultation, please visit www.guildford.gov.uk/publicartyoursay. The online consultation runs until Friday 4 April. Results will be available on our website later this year.