Newtown Neighbourhood Green Design Team

Description

As part of my Arts and Minds residency, I was invited to be a key member of a regular convening design team tasked with the design of a new park on the Newtown estate. The team is made of key members: myself, Newtown Tenants and Residents Association, Newtown residents, Chris Coppock (creative principle of Arts and Minds), Mike Haire (landscape architect), Huw Lewis (Gwent Association for Voluntary Action) and development officers from Tai Calon Community Housing board members. Other attendees have included, Councillor Ann Lewis, local police, Pennie Walker (tenant participation officer, Tai Calon), Steve Phillips (Regeneration manager, Tai Calon), Geroge Dickson (Alun Griffiths contractors), Sheley Bird (Space Saviours Project Officer). This activity:

• Increased confidence in local residents to articulate the concerns of the local community (regular meeting attendee, Stacey Collyer, is now on the board of Tai Calon Community Housing)
• Shifted perceptions of the potential of shared open community space
• Increased awareness of existing outside space organisations, e.g. Space Saviours.
• Continued to improve communication between tenants and residents and staff from Tai Calon Community Housing

Period	12 Jul 2016 → 2018
Held at	Arts+Minds, United Kingdom