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'The Colourway' was conceived by the artist and designer Carly Ralph in response to a commission from Hastings Borough Council as a part of the Greenway Regeneration Programme. The Bethune Way site is a pedestrian underpass linking Alexandra Park and Hastings Town Centre.
The preparation for the project involved colour workshops with thirty local community groups, organisations and schools. Specially designed 'tile sheets' in three colourways (red-green, yellow-violet, blue-orange) were distributed; the individual designs were created using scissors and glue. Through the local media, members of the public were also invited to participate in this process - five hundred designs were submitted.
The interior of the underpass was divided into three vertical sections representing the three colourways of the tile sheets. A team of artists spent six days painting these designs on to two horizontal lines of tiles running the entire length of the underpass at eye level.
Local Groups that contributed tile artwork were:
(in particular, including work on site painting directly onto the tiles): Blacklands Primary School and Tressel Training.
Other contributing groups:
Art Club - Lower Park Road (5-10 years)
Better Braybrooke Environmental Watch Scheme
Bexhill Day Hospital - Mental Health - Occupational Therapy
Bexhill Hospital - Irvine Unit Occupational Therapy
Bridge Drama Group
Castle Ward Forum
Christchurch Primary School
Education Action Zone
Fellowship of St. Nicholas
Friends of Alexandra Park
Gizmo - The D.I.Y. Theatre Co.
Hastings Borough Council members
Hastings Sheltered Workshop
Hastings Social Services Occupational Therapy Group
Hastings Youth Art Workshop
Junior Art - Hastings College - (11-16 yrs)
Local Residents Hastings & St Leonards
Lower Park Road Residents
Pottery and Ceramics Class for adults with learning difficulties
Prince's Youth Trust - Team 20 - Hastings
Priory Machine Knitting Group
2nd Hastings Brownies
Sport 4 All
Visitors to Hastings
Woodlands Hospital - Mental Health Acute Unit
Youth Development Service - Braybrooke/Castle Wards
Youth Council (youthink Conference)
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The scheme involved the painting of 500 individual tile shapes within certain decreed colour specifications. 500 different designs were required, so everyone had an opportunity to make a contribution. Designs ideally were abstract and not figurative (ie: should not have included recognisable objects or figures).
above: example tiles using these colours.
Click image to enlarge - this will open an new browser window.
above: example tiles using these colours.
Click image to enlarge - this will open an new browser window.
above: example tiles using these colours.
Click image to enlarge - this will open an new browser window.
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Subsequent feedback to the Colourway from members of the public has been warmly positive, and an official opening of the newly decorated underpass is planned for 24 April 2004 to coincide with the official opening of Alexandra Park.
"Very nice! Takes the 'plainness' off the walls"
"I've been coming through here for fifteen years; it's the first time that I've come through and found it so cheerful and pleasant. Keep up the good work!"
"I'm coming back here to take photos in colour for one of my projects at school"
"It looks much better than it did before. It used to look like an underground toilet"
"It's lovely; intense blue"
"This is where they're sticking our tiles! I done purple and red!"
"Looking great, looking wonderful - so how are you going to protect it?"
"It makes it a pleasure to come through. It's very well chosen"
"I only like this side, I only like the purple"
"Fine. It's fine. I'm just concerned that you need graffiti protection on it"
"Looks 'all right' I suppose"
"I like that one, I like that one; that's mine"
"It makes such a difference. I hope it stays like this. I hope it doesn't get spoilt"
"It used to be so forbidding; I wouldn't think twice about coming through here now"
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Click on the images to enlarge. This will open a new browser window
Above: The Underpass prior to painting
Above: The existing tiles prior to painting
Above: The completed vertical stripes and horizontal colour bands
Above: The original designs were taped to the walls
Above: A team of artists copied the designs onto the walls
Above and Below: Finished tiles at 'The Colourway'
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This page last updated: 08/01/2007
