Latest News
Art Attack on Empty Shops
New steps to make Rotherham town centre even more vibrant are getting under way by putting art at the heart of the town.
In the lead up to Christmas, Rotherham Borough Council has teamed up with graphic design companies, local artists, Rotherham College of Arts and Technology and local retailers to give the town centre a huge push on improving the look of both its open and closed shops.
This forms part of Town Centre Managements Meanwhile Project which aims to bring life and footfall back to the town centre by improving the look of vacant units throughout the town centre.
The first phase of this project aims to boost the main shopping area for Christmas with attractive exhibitions and displays to inspire shoppers. Kicking off with an attractive piece of artwork installed last Friday on the former Marks & Spencer unit on College Street, featuring photographs of independent stores Image Boutique, Posy Bowl and Eton, prompting people to discover the difference at Wellgate for the niche designer boutique hub that it is.
The councils town centre manager Julie Roberts, said: We wanted to step up the positive work we are delivering for the town centre to improve its visual appeal during the festive busy shopping period, while also bringing art to a wider audience.
The project will now continue with installing similar artistic wraps, being prepared at the moment, for the former Music Zone unit, also on College Street, and the former Bay Trading unit, on Effingham Street.
Rotherham College of Arts and Technology is also getting involved by creating an attractive display of its Art & Fashion students work for other vacant units in the town centre.
Rotherham is home to international lighting artist Mark Fell, and December 7th sees the launch of a spectacular exhibition in the Old Market development, off Corporation Street, lighting the way for Christmas 24 hours a day.
Businesses are also getting into the spirit of things by looking at their own window displays and how they can add further artistic flair. To encourage them, the Town Centre Management team is running a festive window dressing competition. And to help inspire them, free visual merchandising workshops are being held by South Yorkshire’s Retail Skills Academy, The Source.
The push comes after similar efforts, such as increased planting earlier in the year, to make the town centre an attractive place to visit.
The councils Cabinet member for Economic Development, Planning and Transportation, Cllr Gerald Smith, said: With Free after 3 and now all day Saturday and Sunday parking accompanied by a full events programme, we hope shoppers will come to Rotherham town centre to see why it is well worth a visit.
And of course, if they bring their Click-backs discount shopping vouchers from the website, www.rotherhamtowncentre.co.uk, they can shop and save!
