Art work project at Pooley

Community to create art work to commemorate mining past.

Members of local community are invited to help build an art work at Pooley County Park to mark the park's mining heritage.

'How could it be done without the other?' is the name of the art project which will enlist local people to build a structure representing the working process of mining at the former Pooley Colliery Pit head.

Following research into the site and its history, the idea was born from a twin desire to mark the significant site of the Pit Head and to create an interactive experience.

Tony Mellors, local resident and former electrician at Pooley Hall Colliery coined the term 'How could it be done without the other?' relating to the complexity of mining reflecting how men, materials and machines all came together. Tony will open the project on 14 August at 12pm.

Anyone interested in playing a part in creating the structure which will make visible the mining legacy in the area is invited to get involved on selected dates this month and in early September. The structure is a temporary artwork and will stand until September 8th.

The project is part of Pooley Prospects - a project being led by Place Prospectors CIC working with Warwickshire County Council's County Parks and funded by Arts Council England.

The artist leading the project, entitled 'How could it be done without the other?' is Jayne Murray. She said: "We wanted to mark the pit head in some way - at one time it was the fulcrum of all activity here - the movement of men, supplies and coal up and down in cages in the shaft.

"After we talked to local people and former mine workers we appreciated what a highly complex and organized process mining was. Everybody was reliant upon everybody else - you couldn't just do your bit, you had to work together.

"That's what made such a strong community and that is something that is often missing today. We wanted to give people the opportunity to create a 3D version of the old mining community while making a new temporary one."

Paula Cheesman, Country Parks Manager added: "This will be the second significant art project at Pooley following last year's installation of the Homes and Communities grant funded tower of golden leaves - Buried Sunlight.

"We are very excited about this new project and welcome opportunities such as this as they provide us with new ways to engage visitors and local residents."

Place Prospectors are a community interest company specializing in creative work with people in places where they live, work and learn. www.prospectors.org.uk.

This is part of a larger programme leading up to a community celebration of 10 years of Pooley as a country park on 23 September 2012.