Our City: Reflections from Bangor’s young people

Local children working on an art project led by Catrin WilliamsLocal children working on an art project led by Catrin WilliamsBangor University’s Pontio project/Gwynedd Arts Forum are proud to announce the appointment of popular local artist Catrin Williams to lead a special visual arts project, Ein Dinas (Our City). This project will work with the young people of Bangor to create a huge mural on the wooden hoardings surrounding the building site of the new Arts and Innovation Centre on Deiniol Road in the centre of the city.

Ein Dinas is a collaborative project between Pontio and Gwynedd Arts Forum. Its aims are:

  • To develop the creative skills of local young people
  • To nurture the community’s sense of ownership of the new centre
  • To make use of a large external Bangor exhibition space
  • To create a pleasant visual environment around the site during the building period

Facing the busy Deiniol Road, where hundreds of people travel each day in and out of the city, the site hoardings stand, forming a flat upright surface facing the road.  A worthy space for a piece of public art which will not only draw the passers- by’s attention to the immense artistic potential of the building rising behind, but also creating an art work in its own right, inspiring us, both young and old, by its wide visual appeal. 

Catrin WilliamsCatrin WilliamsCatrin Williams is well known in North Wales’s art circles- and beyond. Her public art works have led her to communities from Blaenau Ffestiniog to North Uist Island in Scotland. Her own art has exhibited all over the British Isles.  In the coming months Catrin will be visiting schools and Youth Clubs in the Bangor area to inspire design and create this exciting project. Said Catrin: 

 

“Bangor is really important to me as a city. This is where I was inspired by the late Peter Prendergast to become an artist myself. I hope through this project to transfer that same sense of inspiration to today’s Bangor young people.”

 

The Ein Dinas mural will be created within this autumn term to be installed by Christmas 2010. It will then continue to bring our youth’s colour and vision to the site until the opening of the new building.

 

The Ein Dinas project gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Bangor University, the Arts Council of Wales and Gwynedd Council.

 

For more information phone Pontio on: 01248 382141 or Gwynedd Arts Forum on: 01286 679721.

Publication date: 15 October 2010