Westfield Shoppingtowns, Eagle Centre, Derby

Plan worked with Westfield Shoppingtowns and the public art team at Derby City Council to put together a comprehensive Public Art Strategy for the Eagle Centre shopping centre in the city centre.

Client: Westfield Shoppingtowns
Local Authority: Derby City Council 

In developing the strategy, we conducted thorough research into the site and surrounding area to get a sense of the mood and attitude of Derby as a place. Interviews were set up with key stakeholders such as Madeleine Holmes of Q Arts (Q is a major cultural hub within the city), Nick Corbett of Derby Cityscape (the local regeneration agency), Sarah Reed of East Midland Arts.

The chief aims of the strategy were to make connections between subjects that would resonate with the people of Derby, such as its distinguished history in engineering and technology (it features prominently in histories of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution) and the natural environment (Derby is close to areas of outstanding natural and environmental significance) and Westfield’s own agenda to create a unique environment that would reflect their values of innovativeness and creative imagination.

Via this process and by engaging with Westfield creatively to elicit ideas and insights into their overall concept we were able to develop a programme for introducing art into this environment. The ‘art zones’ we identified were both exterior situations: the Bridge over London Road (one of the major arterial roads through the City), the landscaping immediately surrounding the Eagle Centre and hoardings that would be in place during construction; and interior ones: a permanent treatment to the Food Court area within the centre and using the Food Court as an exhibition point.

We were then able to put forward a rich dossier of artists drawing on both local and national pools of creative talent. We left the client in a strong position to implement the strategy and fulfil their planning obligations.