‘The Big.W- A Public Art Plan for Winchburgh’ is a vision for how public art can help shape the £1 billion development of Winchburgh, near Edinburgh. We have envisioned a series a projects that can form part of this transformation in the medium to long term future by working with local residents, West Lothian Council Planning Services, Community Arts services, developers and their design team.

The first half of the document collected together the historical research, explorations and first-hand conversations carried out over two and half years. The 347-hectare masterplan was explored on foot and through drawings, and interrogated to find potential artwork locations for future projects; the nine key sites were identified with the community. The document incorporates a series of recommendations for a site-specific approach to public art in Winchburgh. We distilled the research into a number of important themes that resonate with Winchburgh and that we will form the inspiration for future art projects.

Encouraging new contemporary public art commissions is the basis for encouraging people to experience West Lothian as a place that inspires, challenges and includes those who live, work and visit the region. The second part of the public art plan establishes mechanisms for achieving this aim from 2017 until 2024. Building on the research in part one, it identified a series of principles, potential sites and types of art that would enhance Winchburgh. The strategy proposed a series of project briefs for specific sites throughout the current village and future masterplan, and outlined the best practice required to implement these.

To launch the public art plan we were commissioned to create a site-specific installation for the public square within the first phase of the town centre.  The brief for the artwork called for a piece of sculpture that can be used informally for seating in conjunction with other more conventional seating in the immediate area.

The form of the piece has been inspired by the three oil shale bings that surround Winchburgh and that act as both guardians of this very important part of local history and a very impressive and sensuous landscape to visit. Their strong colour, the barren peaks and scarce vegetation sets them apart from their surroundings. Their recognisable shape gives them away as artificial heaps – poured, not grown out of the ground. The proposed sculptural seating takes the same approach, heaping layers of red stone upon the flat landscape of the new public square, creating a form reminiscent of a shale bing.

To enhance the connection between the piece and the history of the place, we commissioned a poem by Scottish poet William Letford. For this poem he credited himself as Billy Letford, a tribute to both his father and grandfather who were miners and went by the name Billy.

The men and women of Winchburgh bent their backs. Moved the earth. Fed the lamps that lit the world. The Bings left behind are made from more than shale. They are families and hardship and laughter and love. Stories piled so high you can stand on top and see for miles. They are monuments sculpted by strong, beautiful, countless hands.

A Poem for Winchburgh by Billy Letford

Creative workshops were held at Winchburgh Primary School and Holy Family Primary School whilst the piece was being developed. Each child created a scaled model of sculptural seating that used the colours of shale – black and red – as the finish of their seating. Every design was individual and reflected different ideas, functions and form.

Winchburgh, Scotland 2014- 2019
West Lothian Council