Residents come together to help give Banbury town centre a festive sparkle thanks to returning community arts project.
Published: Friday, 6th December 2024
Following the success of the Round and Round programme in the spring, Cherwell District Council’s landscaping, wellbeing and communities teams, again teamed up with local textile artist Anne-Marie Cadman. Community art workshops were run at Castle Quay in Banbury and saw over 200 people of all ages take part.
In addition to these festive art sessions, Orinoco, The Hill, Hanwell Fields Community Centre, Banbury MIND and Sunrise Multicultural Project, worked in the heart of the community to give new life to three hobby horse frames as reindeer and one orb and sceptre structure to bring the Christmas spirit to Banbury town centre.
The four structures have been installed at Banbury Cross roundabout and at the Warwick Road entrance to People’s Park, the perfect addition to the Christmas decorations and lights that now illuminate the town.
Councillor Rob Pattenden, Portfolio Holder for Healthy Communities, said: “I want to say a massive thank you to all our residents and community groups that have given their time and activated their creative skills to create four beautiful structures that bring a wonderful festive feeling to the town centre.
“It has been brilliant to see everyone from all walks of life come together to bring a bit of Christmas magic to Banbury Cross and People’s Park. This project highlights how important arts programmes are for giving people the opportunity to make new friends, learn new skills and reinvigorate their mental wellbeing.”
Round and Round is a council-led initiative with sustainability as a key principle. The launch of this programme in spring allowed old floral display frames to be reused and recycled into structures that took centre stage at the iconic Banbury cross.