Cromer Prospect

Cromer Prospect, the North Norfolk seaside town's exciting new £200,000 public art scheme, was officially launched by Councillor Tony Nash, Mayor of Cromer, on the evening of Friday, May 27th 2006. The scheme is supported by £152,000 Lottery funding through Arts Council England, East.

The public art scheme is part of a larger seafront enhancement project, contributing to the wider regeneration of the Cromer area, developed by North Norfolk District Council and the Cromer Regeneration Partnership.

Cromer Prospect, which has been managed by Commissions East on behalf of North Norfolk District Council, is a series of art installations that celebrate 200 years of Cromer's lifeboats, featuring atmospheric lighting that brings the seafront alive at night.

David Ward, Cromer Prospect lead artist, has worked with many people on a permanent installation that celebrates the town's principal lifeboats set in Cromer Pier's forecourt. Twenty-four granite stones, each one representing a lifeboat, have been set along lines looking out to sea, pointing in the direction of rescue missions. The scheme has been developed by Landscape Designer, Shaun Ruffles.

A great compass is at the heart of the forecourt display. The lines radiate out to sea from the compass through the granite 'standing stones'. The design is based on the compass in the HF Bailey lifeboat, which can be seen in Cromer's RNLI museum.

The names of each lifeboat, ship rescue, date of the rescue and the numbers of lives saved, have been cut and inlaid into granite lines stretching from the compass to the standing stones. Ray Carpenter has designed the unique typeface for the lettering.

Cromer Prospect is transformed at night with atmospheric lighting. Each 'standing stone' is uplit with star-like lights. This acts as a reminder of the beacon that burned on the corner of Cromer Church tower before the first lighthouse was built. A golden light will also shine on the church tower to represent the beacon later this year.

The flint walls on the Victorian bastion above the pier have been uplit with occasional washes of light using soft colours, creating a lighting effect reminiscent of natural light effects and of watercolour paintings. The lighting has been developed by Cambridgeshire lighting designer Chris Baldwin.

Councillor Hilary Nelson, North Norfolk District Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Arts and Built Heritage said: "Congratulations to all those involved in Cromer Prospect. It is a brave, evocative and inspirational enhancement to Cromer Sea Front. Residents and visitors alike will be proud of this celebration of our sea faring history today and for years to come."

Councillor Tony Nash, Mayor of Cromer said: "The Cromer Prospect is yet another feather in the cap of those numerous people who have led the regeneration of Cromer over these past three years. The whole concept of bringing the best of Cromer's past into the present for the future is a phenomenal idea which will bring interest to visitors and locals alike. All the difficulties so far encountered have proved insignificant in the wake of what we, as a community, are able to enjoy in the future. Already comments from members of the public from home and afar are very positive and bode well for the future."

Cromer inspired some of the UK's greatest 19th century literary figures including Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Gaskell and the poet AC Swinburne. To celebrate this link, their quotations about the area have been immortalised in stone rings on the seafront and in the town centre. The quotes have been cut and inlaid using Ray Carpenter's special Cromer Prospect typeface.

A new RNLI museum, with restaurant, cliff lift and toilets is currently under construction on the site of the 'Rocket House', to the east of the pier. The museum will feature ceramic panels created by local artist, Stephen Parry. These ceramic works were also commissioned as a part of the overall Cromer Prospect project.

Peter Stibbons, Chair of Cromer Regeneration Partnership said: "Another element of the overall Regeneration package is now complete. The initial response of visitors to the forecourt project has been tremendous, and I'm sure that will be the view of many more this summer. David Ward quickly spotted the central position of the lifeboat in Cromer's heritage, and this is a splendid response to that heritage."

Rachel Drury, Arts Council England, East said: "North Norfolk District Council has successfully shown how contemporary art can help to revitalise a town. Arts Council England, East is pleased to have been involved with the scheme, it's a positive move forward for the town and the surrounding area."

David Ward, Cromer Prospect lead artist said: " The 'Prospect' of the title means a view (out to sea and the horizon) and it also means to look ahead to look forward…"

Photographs are copyright Doug Atfield, except for photograph of David Ward - copyright Paul Dickson.

ARTLIGHTS - NINE VISIONS ONE TOWN
Part of Cromer Prospect, October 2004

Artlights was an outdoor exhibition of new work using new technologies, by artists living and working in North Norfolk. Ten selected artists were asked to consider how they might reflect the unique nature of Cromer, its history, landscape and people. Each work was developed through existing knowledge of Cromer and new research about specific aspects of the town. The historical and contextual references within the exhibition ranged from Victorian grandeur to bawdy carnival. The artists also integrated their experiences and feelings about Cromer into the works, creating a personal response to this unique seaside town.

All Artlights photographs by Doug Atfield.

Installation by Stephanie Gilbert

Installation by Lucy Care

Images of starfish projected onto the Church tower in Cromer, by Liz McGowan and Margie Britz

Installation by Vanda Harvey

CROMER LOOKOUT

The exhibition Lookout used the Old Coastguard's Lookout house on the promenade in Cromer as a site for video installation. It was viewed from the exterior on the promenade area.
The work created an illusion of the building as a complete sculptural work. Viewers looked into the interior of the building as faces looked out through lenses. The windows became the lenses themselves and the house filled with moving oversize figures who peered out. The work was created with video back projections in selected windows. The idea of looking and watching was amplified by the subject of the videos. Those looking out were no longer the coastguards but were children's faces, the children of Cromer.

The work was developed by the artist, Beverley Carpenter. She worked for one week, with the children of Cromer Junior School using lenses, working with light and colour. They separated light into colour using optical devices and looked at local lenses such as that of the Cromer lighthouse. During the week subject material for the artist's installation work was gathered. The final installation changed the viewer's perception of the building, scale and social ideas around Cromer and beyond. The artist asked us to question particularly the position of young people in the town. The question was raised of who is looking at whom, and who was inside and who was outside. This installation work showed children looking out over the sea through various lenses. Water rose and fell in the windows reflecting the sea tides inside and outside the building.