Salford students brush up to win £15,000 art prize

View of the boulevard

Aspiring artists from the University of Salford are being asked to design a series of public artworks for a new shopping centre in Ordsall. A £15,000 fund has been created by regeneration specialist LPC Living to develop new public spaces at their Radclyffe Park development on Trafford Road.

The £50m retail and leisure scheme near Salford Quays will be home to a new Morrisons supermarket, Travelodge hotel, new shops and more than 100 new homes when completed. The artwork will take pride of place on a tree-lined boulevard linking the new development to the Grade-I listed St Clement's church.

Earlier this summer students from the University of Salford and art institutions in Italy and Romania paid a visit to Ordsall to see the investment being made by LPC Living and look at the unique characteristics of the area. They were then asked to imagine concepts for new public artwork that would reflect some of the history and future aspirations of Ordsall.

The students' designs have now been put online at www.radclyffepark.co.uk/artwork and anyone who fancies themselves as an art critic is invited to comment on the proposals. Public feedback will then guide the judging panel's decision when choosing a winning design.

Scott Neal, Marketing Manager at LPC Living, said "We've always prided ourselves on collaborating with the communities we work in so when it came to developing the open space at Radclyffe Park we naturally turned to the local University for their assistance.

"We've been impressed by the quality and variety of the designs submitted and are looking forward to choosing a unique centrepiece for the new shopping centre and at the same time help support local, artistic talent."

Professor Paul Haywood, from the School of Art & Design at the University of Salford said: "We're always delighted when the private sector seeks to support up and coming artists. Not only will the competition help our students to their knowledge and skill to create a new public artwork for this important development, but it will also enable the university to have a highly-visible stake in the ongoing transformation of Ordsall."

A winning design is due to be chosen by a panel of judges from LPC Living and the University later this month. The selected artist will then put their work into production and be invited to unveil their piece at the development's official opening.