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The HISTORY of REDDITCH New Town

Public Art

The ‘Needles Gateway’ – a recent addition to
our streetscape – was unveiled in 2003. Funded
by Thornfields Properties Plc (former owners of
the Kingfisher Shopping Centre), it is situated
in Alcester Street, beside the Post Office and
the Public Library. This public artwork
recognises and celebrates the town’s industrial
heritage, as Redditch was historically the
undisputed needle-making capital of the world.
The ‘Gateway’ consists of eight stainless steel
needles. Each of them are ten metres high and
set at an angle with trailing ‘threads’ that link
into the adjacent pavement feature.

The Holocaust Memorial created to
provide an opportunity to commemorate
the National Holocaust Memorial Day held
annually in this country. Redditch for
some years has worked in partnership,
across a wide variety of faith groups, to
raise awareness of the holocaust
phenomenon, producing debate between
a diverse range of groups including the
Church of England, the Borough Council,
the Pagan Society and various other
groups of religious denomination.

In 2002 all local schools were invited to submit designs for a suitable piece of artwork
for a Holocaust Memorial, and the winner was Chase Lloyd, a student at Kingsley College.
After quite a lengthy debate and exploration about a suitable, and practical location, the
location chosen was the southern end of Church Green, and the design was modified for
the site and executed by the artist Andy Decomyn from Birmingham.
Other recent programmes of public art include the Gateway Murals at Redditch railway
station and various designs on bus shelters throughout the town.

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