Swansea
Print Workshop @
Kings
Lane Warehouse
now viewing: Kings Lane Warehouse / Why is Kings Lane important to Swansea?
Why is Kings Lane important to Swansea
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Why is Kings Lane important to Swansea?
Swansea as a European City of
Culture
This Print
Centre will contribute to Swansea’s pursuit of a strong cultural
identity and heritage in a way that is completely unique in South Wales.
This will be a key building which expresses and develops that identity and will actively promote and support cultural and leisure activities within a first class professional environment.
Design
As a
distinctive and iconic building, its innovative design, incorporating
sustainable design solutions will enhance the character of the area.
Sarah Wigglesworth Architects have been sensitive to its historical context whilst providing a modern and practical solution for a complex public arts building.
The Urban Village Development
The Print
Centre will interface dynamically with the public space at the centre of
the Urban Village development, connecting directly with High Street.
Swansea Print Workshop will contribute a public interface for viewing and participatory events around the visual arts which will attract and retain additional footfall to the area. It will contribute to a sense of identity for the area in seeking to promote a cluster of cultural industries.
A prime site for a Public Art project which will connect the public square with the activities of the Print Centre.
It will celebrate a dialogue between the traditions of printmaking and glass techniques set within an attractive landscaped context. Art is often seen as an add-on to a development or public enhancement, but can make a significant statement regarding a city centre public space. The Terrace overlooking east Swansea and the river valley will host outdoor events and provide a pleasant landscaped area connecting to the Urban Village courtyard and the main Gallery.
Print Workshops
The
development of Kings Lane as a centre for print will bring Swansea to
the forefront as a centre of excellence in line with other areas of the
UK.
Print Workshops in the UK and Ireland have doubled over the last 10 years and there are now 58 of which only 4 are in Wales. The Arts Council and individual City Councils and have long recognized the wide ranging contribution to visual arts practice and the local economy these facilities can make. In Scotland particularly the main workshops are major purveyors of original prints, with valuable back catalogues and collections of contemporary work for sale. They also provide a source of affordable original art.
Tourism
The Print
Centre will add a completely new dimension to the range of opportunities
for visitors to engage with the local culture.
A dedicated gallery with the adjunct of a fully functioning workshop where the origins of the work can be demonstrated are a popular and successful niche of the tourist industry and will considerably enhance the experience of buying original art work. Participatory events through workshops at every level, summer schools and masterclasses will attract visitors to the city. Courses will capitalise on direct links to local areas of natural beauty, culture and heritage and link with the established Festivals within the city. A very wide range of original prints will be accessible for browsing as well as work displayed in the Gallery. Print has the capacity to offer affordable, original work for collectors without large financial means.
The centre will act as a conduit for the appreciation of the history of printmaking and the archival collections of prints in the city, supported by a regular programme of demonstrations and lectures.