Eleanor Shipman
Eleanor Shipman

Charting Change - Two year public art commission

ANNOUNCEMENT: Lead artist on two year public art project Charting Change
for the University of Bristol's new Temple Quarter building

I am very excited to announce that I have been appointed as lead artist for Charting Change, a major two-year public art project for the University of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, opening next to Bristol Temple Meads station in 2026.

Charting Change is a two-year engagement commission which will explore the industrial histories of the site of the new campus alongside its technological futures. The process will focus on engagement with local people, researchers and organisations to develop a series of artworks and events over the two years, all of which will inform my design of a large scale permanent textile artwork in the new building in 2026.

I will be exploring hyper-local histories of womxn in industry and research, life cycles of industrial materials, and patterns in public and private spaces in the site’s surrounding areas. Working closely with Programme Artist Jack Stiling, and visiting artists throughout, I will be hosting workshops, exhibitions, talks and events in Bristol across the two year programme, all of which will be open to all and free to attend. These will feed into my design process of a series of locally-woven textile panels as the permanent artwork, which will exist around a large seating area in the new space for all to see.

It is a real honour to have been selected for this commission, building on my long term interests in urban change and social practice and drawing on my own methodologies for creative engagement and placemaking.

UPCOMING EVENTS TO JOIN: 

  • Join my free drop in sewing workshops at the University of Bristol Barton Hill Microcampus, 9:30 - 12, Weds 2nd, 9th, 16th & 30th Oct! Open to Bristol residents and UoB researchers. See flyer for info. 
  • Come along to the first exhibition of the programme, Charting Change: WORK IN PROGRESS, sculptures and photography by Ellie Shipman and Jack Stiling in collaboration with Barton Hill History Group, from 21 - 23rd Nov at St Anne's House. 
All images and content unless otherwise stated are copyright: Eleanor Shipman.