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 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 from 2024 - 2026 which will explore the industrial histories of the site of the new campus alongside its technological futures. The process focuses on engagement with local people, researchers and organisations to develop a series of artworks and events, all of which will inform my design of a large scale permanent textile artwork in the new building in 2026.

I am 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, we 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 14 large scale locally-woven textile panels as the permanent artwork, which will exist around a large seating area called the Story Exchange 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. PROGRAMME EVENTS: 

Upcoming events:

• Girls Build Amazing Things - Free construction play and reading workshop for girls aged 8+ and families at the Little Library in the Barton Hill Microcampus on Tues 15th April. Email for more info. 
• Metalwork for women over 60 - Free metal workshop to make wearable sculptures celebrating women's work for local women in East Bristol hosted at WTF - Women Teaching Fabrication, with an introduction on the history of women welders from Barton Hill History Group. Friday 30th May, 10 - 4pm. Email to book.
• Tour of Dash & Miller and The Bristol Weaving Mill with the Bristol Textile Quarter for Somali elders (private event for a community group). 

Past events:

• 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.
• 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. 

Find out more at public-art.bristol.ac.uk
Follow the University of Bristol’s Instagram @bristol_uni_publicart for updates.
The commission is part of the TQEC public art programme led by Contemporary Art Society *Consultancy.