The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Artist sought to bring colour to town’s heritage
FundinginplacetoembarkonpublicartprojectinhistoricKirkwall
Orkney Islands Council is to carry out an ambitious £30,000 public art project in Kirkwall to tell the story of the historic island town.
As part of a scheme to regenerate the town centre, the local authority is seeking to find an interested artist to deliver the innovative project.
The Kirkwall Townscape Heritage Initiative (KTHI) is a five-year heritage-based grant scheme which seeks to deliver sustainable improvements to the built heritage of the Kirkwall Conservation Area.
A council spokeswoman said: “The project aims to help regenerate the centre of Kirkwall for the benefit of local communities and businesses, as attract visitors.
“The scheme has been running since July 2014 and will conclude in June 2019.
“The overall budget for the scheme is £3.445million, which is primarily being provided by Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland and Orkney Islands Council.
“The KTHI well as public to art project will develop and deliver public art in Kirkwall that will add to the interest and vibrancy of the public space and contribute to heritage awareness in Kirkwall.”
The Story of Kirkwall will highlight the history and development of the town and its people.
Other strands of the strategy are heritage trails, on-street interpretation, a digital app and signage.
Orkney’s ancient capital can be traced back to Norse times in the 11th century when it was called Kirkjuvagr – the Church of the Bay.
Kirkwall was granted royal burgh status by James III of Scotland in 1486.
It is now a key transport hub for bus routes across mainland Orkney and the port for ferries to Aberdeen, Shetland and Orkney’s North Isles.
Kirkwall’s skyline is dominated by the magnificent St Magnus Cathedral, known as The Light of the North.
It is described as “one of the finest examples of mediaeval architecture to be found in Britain”.