News: Heritage celebrated on Rotherham High Street

Finishing touches have been made to the ambitious heritage-led regeneration initiative in Rotherham town centre.

Officials from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) have been given a guided tour of the town's High Street, which is celebrating the restoration of 13 key properties thanks to a total of a £4.7m investment from the HLF, Rotherham Council and the property owners.

The guests, which also include representatives from Historic England (formerly known as English Heritage), the Department of Communities and Local Government and Rotherham Civic Society, saw the exteriors and interiors of the renovated buildings on the High Street as well as new keystones, depicting the history of the street and its properties, that are set within new street paving.

The tour included a visit inside No 26 - The Makers Emporium (pictured, below), which showcases a variety of products crafted by local makers, artists and designers, as well as the former Three Cranes Inn. This dates back to the 15th century and houses Hamby's Antiques on the lower floors and heritage showrooms on the upper floors.

The Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) scheme sees property owners and long term lease holders secure grants enabling them to restore, renovate and repair their historic buildings which are all within a conservation area that radiates from Rotherham Minster. The aim is to encourage new shops, apartments and businesses to locate in the town centre.

Local businessman, Chris Hamby is creating a complex of mixed-used retail outlets (pictured, above) focusing on listed buildings. The plan is backed by a £750,000 long term capital finance loan from Rotherham Council that has secured £677,000 of Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) for additional, much needed works.

An additional £140,000 was approved by the council, in the form of a long term capital finance loan to enable the refurbishment works to be completed at The Three Cranes building and former Georgian Town House at 29-29a High Street. An additional £140,000 was approved by the council, in the form of a long term capital finance loan and the council's cabinet approved further funding, in the form of an additional £300,000 loan and £190,000 grant, to enable the works to be finished.

Hamby's shoe shop has moved back from 19 High Street into the former John Mason Jewellers building at the top of the High Street that was restored in a previous round of the heritage initiative. Independent fashion retailers, Yella Brick Road and Things That Boys Like have joined forces to expand into the vacated unit at 19 High Street whilst Craft Corner & The Bears Den is set to relocate across from the Riverside Precinct into the new unit in the Georgian town house.

Rotherham-based graphics print, production and management company, Rainforest Graphics has also been on hand to create new signage and artwork on key properties.

Cllr. Denise Lelliott, advisory cabinet member for Rotherham Council, described the changes to the town centre over the past seven years as "incredible."

"This has been partnership working at its very best," she added. "The work around the Minster and the High Street has been a catalyst for investment and activity across the whole town. The High Street is looking wonderful and my congratulations go to everyone who has been involved in these excellent schemes that have resulted in this wonderful regeneration of the town's historic core."

A spokesperson for the Rotherham District Civic Society, added: "We in Rotherham are the beneficiaries of all this work. Our High Street looks, once again, as it should. The Rotherham District Civic Society would like to thank Chris Hamby and his construction team for their hard work and belief in the future of the town."

An application to the National Heritage Memorial Fund for another phase of the Rotherham Town Centre Townscape Heritage Initiative was rejected in January.

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council put forward a project worth £1.9m including a development grant of £39,300 (90% of eligible development costs) for a second phase of works to properties in the town centre conservation area. The project would seek to inform people about the history and heritage of architect John Platt's house (now part of Westgate Chambers), and explore opportunities for artists to display work depicting the architectural and historical heritage of the buildings.

Rotherham town centre website

Images: Tom Austen / Makers Emporium

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News: Rotherham college student succeeds in style

A course in graphic design at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology (RCAT) has helped Amy Kilner gain success in the classroom and in the world of work.

Amy Kilner left her sixth form college and A Levels in 2010 so she could pursue her passion in graphic design. She enrolled on Rotherham College’s Graphic Design BTEC Level 3 course where she could concentrate on the specific subject and find her style.

Drawing her inspiration for Kandinsky, Joan Miro and other geometric abstract art, Amy flourished in her studies with the help of her tutors at the College. During the course she learnt how to follow briefs from clients, took part in group sessions and used the latest software to create designs.

She said: "From experience, I think BTECs prepare you for University and working in the industry a lot more than A levels. In the long run it has helped me a lot, at University in the first year I had lessons that recapped what I'd already learnt on my BTEC course, a lot of people who did A levels struggled with them as they hadn't had the lessons as they'd been studying other subjects at the same time."

Since leaving the College, Amy went on to study a BA Honours in Graphic Communication Design at the University of Huddersfield and in 2012 she started freelancing as a designer, taking part in a range of projects such as The V Festival project with Rotherham-based Rainforest Graphics. During the project Amy designed the branding for the "Champagne Garden" for the VIP area.

She said: "By helping Rainforest out I was given VIP Wristbands for the weekend. It was amazing seeing my work up and being used in such a big festival! It was really motivational."

On her days off from University, Amy works for Creative Media Design and Print Ltd based in Denaby. They have worked with clients such as the BBC, Samsung and Coca Cola.

Amy also recently launched a clothing brand called Blootit Clothing in partnership with Blossom Pengkerego.

After completing her course, Amy will continue to work in the Graphic Design industry and continue with her freelancing.

"Freelancing keeps me on my toes," she added. "If I hadn't started my freelance and built up a portfolio of a wide range of work then I wouldn't have had anything to show new clients when they ask what I can do for them!"

Amy Kilner website
RCAT website
Rainforest Graphics website

Images: RCAT

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News: Public hangings in Rotherham town centre

An open air art gallery is being created to help regenerate Rotherham town centre and increase the number of visitors.

Over 60 pieces of artwork by local, national and world renowned artists will be reproduced in large format – the largest 4m x 8m - and hung on the side of buildings in over 35 public places throughout the town centre.

Local company Rainforest Graphics, which has reproduced the pieces, started the installation last week, which is due to be completed by the end of September.

The idea came about due to a group of local business people working alongside the local strategic partnership and town centre team looking at ways to regenerate and encourage more shoppers and visitors into Rotherham, in order to drive the local economy.

Nick Cragg, local entrepreneur and chair of the Rotherham Economy Board, who is spearheading the project, said: "Rotherham will be one of the first towns in the UK to have its own open air art gallery, which is fantastic news and will help to play an important part in its regeneration and further economic growth.

"The pieces have been carefully selected so that we could exhibit works of world renowned masters, whilst providing a platform for Rotherham's own artists, as well as local young people to display their work."

Local artists represented include: Chris Bird, Zahir Rafiq, Leslie R Black, Sara Platts, Nigel Senior, Bernadine Stocks and Daniel Barnett whose work will be featured alongside pieces by Picasso, Da Vinci, Cezanne, Henry Moore, Van Gogh and Rousseau.

Artwork has also been selected from seven local schools that took part in an art-based project earlier this year, with some of the best pieces selected, including a huge image of a fish and a cross-eyed tiger.

Schools involved include St Bernard's Catholic High School, Thornhill Primary, Kiveton Park Infant School, Monkwood Primary, Abbey Special School and Swinton Queen Primary School, as well as a number of pieces supplied by students at Rotherham College of Arts & Technology (RCAT).

Art can be seen on Corporation Street with further works to be installed at locations such as RCAT's campus, the walkway to Tesco and along College Lane.

High profile partners are backing the project including Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Welcome to Yorkshire, the Hepworth Gallery and the National Gallery.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: "It is fantastic that this exciting open air art gallery will be based right here in South Yorkshire.

"Rotherham has some excellent artistic talent and it is great that work by students, local commercial artists and world renowned artists is going to be displayed alongside each other for everyone to enjoy.

"This is just the start of what will be a hugely exciting project for Rotherham, for the benefit of local people, as well as helping to attract more visitors to the town from across the region and indeed the whole of the UK."

Rotherham Open Air Gallery website
Rainforest Graphics website

Images: Rainforest

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