Celebrating Community Through Our Local Park

Our plan is to create an engaging art installation within Moor View Park, in order to preserve and grow its identity as an important space, for celebrating the differences and similarities that exist between us, in our local community. In this spirit, abilities and talents from local groups/individuals will work together to create the installation. Such work will look to inspire future development in Moor View Park, to improve its function as a community, outdoor events space.

Moor View Park has already seen many great community events that have brought togther individuals from all walks of life. 

On the mound at the southern end of this small but charming park, we look to install a welcoming bench and pebble mosaic circle, with smaller pebble mosaic stepping stones leading up to this. The latter will replace the worn/lost wooden stepping-stones already in this location. The design for this draws upon experiences from a previous, fun arts project we ran, with the support of Vital Sparks, to question what community means in Plymouth. 

Moor View Park (Pink/Red marker) is located on Moor View Terrace on the east side of Mutley Plain. Map courtesy of Google Maps. 

An aeril view of the plan for our installation on the mound at the southern end of the park. Designed and coordianted by Sarah Jane Hodge.

Everyone's interpretation of the installation will, and should be different and meaningful to them. Our own thoughts however gathered from our recent arts project, include the different pebbles set within the mosaics representing the variety of individuals living, and/or working in the Mutely area. Their coming together as stepping stones and the larger mosaic, represent the smaller communities of Mutley that can, and do link up to build bridges and feel part of something bigger.  The design also showcases the efforts and thoughts of the late Jeanne Hinton, a much beloved local community activist, who was key in Moor View Park’s renovation in the late 2000s, and the setting up of a Friend’s group for the park (now called Mutley Matters). In particular, the pebble stepping stones signify her own journey in exploring the meaning of community to her and others. It is her poem about living in Mutley, which will take centre stage in the feature.  

Jeanne was heavily engaged in the local community and a key driver behind Moor View Park's most recent rennovation. 

The bench and mosaics will memorialise Jeanne Hinton.  It will act as a brilliant reminder of the park’s ability to create and enhance community, as it has already done so through the efforts of Jeanne and the Mutley Matters’ group. In today’s fast paced lifestyle and online communication methods, outdoor spaces where individuals can take a breath from modern day living in, and gain value from face-to-face interaction, are more crucial than ever. Indeed, the creation of this installation will itself, encourage this more personal level of interaction.

The project is being steered by the Mutley Matters group, whose two key aims are to create a sense of community within the Mutley area, and help Plymouth City Council look after Moor View Park. We are pleased to have the potential of re-engaging with some individuals/groups from our original arts project, such as local artist Sarah Jane Hodge (who is overseeing the design and construction of the installation) and the Freedom Youth Project. Sarah will be working with the local charity Land Works, to create the bench. We are also grateful to have the continuing support of Vital Sparks, but to take this project beyond being a plan, we'll need your help.

Vital Sparks is a "city-wide initiative designed to inspire arts, culture and creativity in Plymouth."

We kindly ask for your donations, either in the form of a sum or your choice, or by putting yourself down for one of our many rewards on offer, including some art pieces of Jeanne Hinton’s own hand. You’ll be helping us to reach our target of £3500 and help make our vision for Moor View park a reality.  Should we raise the money required, it will be used as follows:

£315 – Materials for the mosaic and smaller stepping-stones.

£500 – A bronze plague to be laid in the mosaic, with a poem written by Jeanne Hinton about Mutley, inscribed on it.

£1000 – A bench to be constructed in partnership with Landworks, a work-based training scheme providing a supported route back into the community for current and ex-prisoners.

£875 – Workshops to be run by Sarah Jane Hodge engaging a number of local individuals and groups in creating the stepping stones for the feature.

£200 – Community open event to be held in September/October 2017.

£325 – Contingency Fund

£285 – Crowdfunder/Credit Card Fees

Thank you in advance for your support.