A programme of public art is being developed in two North Yorkshire town centres as part of major regeneration schemes aimed at bringing a welcome boost to High Streets and providing culture to the public.

In Catterick Garrison, a series of artwork pieces are to be created as part of the town centre development project. The £21 million regeneration scheme will revamp the area around Shute Road and Coronation Park.

Based on five key themes including connect, welcome, playful, natural world and reflect, several pieces of artwork will enhance the public spaces.

They will also recognise the history of the military presence and the cultural richness that exists within the serving personnel from the Nepalese, Fijian and Commonwealth communities, along with their families and veterans, as well as the aspirations of the area and the wider community for the future.

Artwork will also be appearing on the hoardings of the new development after children and young people from around Catterick produced imaginative drawings, designs and poetry for them over the summer months.

Our executive member for culture and leisure, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “This is a very exciting part of the Catterick town centre regeneration scheme.

“We want to foster a sense of place particularly around Coronation Park with installations of all types from sculptures, nature trails and murals to planted areas.”

In Northallerton, the Sophia sculpture has stood overlooking the former town prison development, Treadmills, since July 2023. But in the last few month words explaining her history have been penned on to the wall of the neighbouring campus building.

The eight-foot-high sculpture depicts the youngest female inmate ever incarcerated in Northallerton’s former prison with a warden. The prison site has now been converted into a retail, business, education and leisure destination.

We have appointed arts organisation, Beam, to act as the producer for the Catterick Garrison programme, and briefs are being issued this week to find four artists to lead the work.

Beam’s principal consultant, Frances Smith, said: “We’re excited to work with the local community and with artists to develop a series of playful and inviting artworks in public spaces as part of the regeneration of Catterick Garrison.

“The planned artworks will be led by artists and developed with input from local people. We hope the artworks will foster connections, encourage reflection and celebrate the natural world.

“We are looking forward to inviting local residents to join us in enhancing Catterick’s public spaces with creativity.”

The briefs, totalling £123,000, cover orientation, creating space for reflection in the new public square and enhancements to the new community and enterprise centre.

They include physical artwork to highlight key entrance points to the new development and to creatively support access within the park and towards Shute Road. The community building will be the focus of a large-scale artwork panel which aims to offer a warm welcome to the new space, and a glazed canopy for the east side of the development.

Our armed forces champion, Cllr Kevin Foster, who is also ward councillor for the Garrison area, said: “It is very important that art in the development reflects the Garrison and I hope to see a lot of community involvement from everyone - young and old.”

The multi-million-pound town centre regeneration scheme will create a new town square on Shute Road, a new pedestrian ramp connecting the development to Richmond Road, and a community and enterprise building.

Plans also include landscaping improvements, upgrades to Coronation Park and Shute Road, improved play spaces, accessible routes to the town centre and better footpaths and cycleways.

We are working with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to bring the proposals to fruition. We have received £19 million from the Government with the remaining match-funding coming from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and the authority.