Hengrove and Whitchurch Community Orchard
A Future Perfect public Art commission http://www.futureperfectbristol.org/commissions/
Future Perfect is a new model of commissioning public art for Bristol City Council, in which the budget and governance is controlled by members of the Hengrove Community. Future Perfect is the first public art programme to be funded through this scheme and managed by the Neighbourhood Partnerships.
Hengrove and Whitchurch is a suburb and council ward of Bristol. The area is home to the long-disused Whitchurch Airport, now grassed over, and partly a large open space, much loved by dog walkers and kite flyers and partly redeveloped into the largest urban regeneration site in Bristol. Hengrove Park is the location of the new Leisure Centre, South Bristol Community Hospital and Skills Academy.
Artist David Thorpe has been invited to contribute to the physical fabric of Hengrove in order to create a long-term legacy for the project. His commission will be both functional and curious and will become part of the infrastructure of Hengrove.
Thorpe has produced a design for a community orchard made out of large growing fruit and nut trees planted according to the floor plan of a cathedral, which will provide food as well as a meeting place for the community.
Thorpe’s idea provides a short and long term legacy for the community of Hengrove as the ‘tree cathedral’ slowly grows in to form.
The community including primary and secondary school children helped plant the 47 heritage apple trees with Grand Designs celebratory Kevin McCloud on November 2015 and celebrated the first Apple Day on 24 October 2015.
The Orchard has grown into a very productive community resource of delicious fresh fruit.