Artists appointed for Catterick Garrison’s new town centre

Katayoun Dowlatshahi, Hazel Oakes, who is known as Nocciola The Drawer, and Steve Anwar from the Sapien Studio began work on the project last week when they met stakeholders and members of the local community to gain their views and ideas.

The group included a representative of Catterick Garrison’s commander, Mari Finch, family members of military personnel, headteachers, councillors and members of the council’s cultures and archives service.

North Yorkshire Council’s £175,000 ‘Public Art Catterick’ project aims to reflect the area’s strong links with the military and instill pride among communities. Based on five core strands of connect, welcome, playful, natural world and reflect, several pieces of artwork will enhance the public spaces.

The pieces will not only recognise the history of the military presence and the cultural richness that exists within the Nepalese, Fijian and Commonwealth serving personnel, their families and veterans, but also the aspirations of the area and the wider community for the future.

The council has appointed Beam, a cultural development organisation that works across the North of England, to oversee the project.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for culture, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “By investing in public art, we’re not only enhancing the new town centre’s public spaces but also fostering community spirit and engagement.

“It was great to see so many people at the event last week meeting the artists and talking through their ideas with them – I am now looking forward to seeing it all come together into exciting pieces of art for the town.”

All three artists bring separate strengths and ideas to the project.

Ms Dowlatshahi, who will create the entrance markers, is an artist, print-maker and fine art photographer with 27 years of experience in the field of public art. Recently she has been working more widely with nature as inspiration for her work as well as being creative with natural materials.

Mr Anwar, of Sapien Studio, who will create the ‘Reflect’ sculpture, develops site-specific public artworks that inspire movement and connection which blend with the industrial heritage of the North East of England.

He has produced work for Yorkshire Sculpture Park and for the Sky Arts Landmark series.

Based in Sheffield, his studio produces dynamic sculptures for private collectors as well as larger site-specific artworks for public realm projects, fusing elemental materials, digital design and traditional fabrication techniques.

Ms Oakes, who uses the name of Nocciola the Drawer, is working on a welcome artwork for the entrance to the new community centre. As a mural artist and illustrator from Durham, she specialises in bright, bold, colourful artwork that combines the human figure and lively patterns, all with the aim to uplift, inspire, empower and celebrate.

A principal consultant for Beam, Frances Smith, said: “We’re delighted to be working with such a talented group of artists to help support the ambitions of the Catterick Garrison regeneration scheme through creativity.

“The appointed artists will be engaging with local people and carrying out detailed research to create bold new artworks which are unique to Catterick, and which will celebrate what makes the town so special.”

The regeneration scheme for the garrison town, which is home to one of the largest Army bases in the country, will create a new town square on Shute Road, a new pedestrian ramp connecting the development to Richmond Road, and a Community and Enterprise building.

Plans also include landscaping improvements, upgrades to Coronation Park and Shute Road, improved play spaces, accessible routes to the town centre and better footpaths and cycleways.

North Yorkshire Council’s Armed Forces champion, Cllr Kevin Foster, who represents the Hipswell and Colburn division, added: “This development will be of great value to all our residents – both local and military. It is very exciting to see work starting on creating these artworks which will see the artists working with the community.”

North Yorkshire Council, which is working with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on the scheme, received £19 million from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund North with the remaining match-funding coming from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and the authority.

North Yorkshire has a proud history associated with the Armed Forces which dates back more than a century, and there are 10,770 military personnel in the county – one of the largest numbers nationally.