Vaux is a significant brownfield
regeneration site opportunity.

SUNNISIDE ART WORKS UNVEILED

24/09/2010

A short film inspired by Sunderland’s connection to Alice in Wonderland and featuring local dance groups and businesses has been premiered in a newly regenerated area of Sunniside.

Digital artists SDNA projected the film onto the BT Exchange building in St. Thomas Street to mark the completion of a £2 million programme of improvements to the Sunniside area.

Commissioned by Sunderland City Council to animate the historic quarter of Sunderland city centre, SDNA’s extroadinary large scale projections were inspired by the Alice in Wonderland fairytale together with stories from local people and images of their interests and activities.

Central to the films are recurring images of the inside of the White Rabbit's pocket watch. Imagery of brass cogs and the internal workings of clocks and watches, courtesy of local jeweler John H Collinson, run throughout the work. It also stars dancers from Sunniside based Kathleen Davis Dance School and Theatre Restaurant as well as members of Sunderland Martial Arts. Glass objects from the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens and images of welders from industrial Marine crane builders Liebherr also feature.

The projections will run every hour, every evening during the winter months and will help to draw people down to the Sunniside area, which has seen significant investment over recent years. The latest phase of improvements, funded by One North East, has included widening pavements, new street lighting and new seating.

Councillor Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council and Chair of the Sunniside Partnership said: "The completion of these works is another important milestone in the transformation of Sunniside, which has seen over £140 million of private investment in the last seven years, leading to the creation of 400 new jobs. It's especially heartening that at a time of recession 50 new businesses have opened in the last year alone."

SDNA has been working with Sunderland street furniture designer Charlie Davidson, internationally renowned sound artist Bill Fontana and architectural urban design practice Kapok to realise the urban regeneration project, which has been led by regeneration agency Sunniside Partnership.

SDNA director Ben Foot said: “We've created the first permanent outdoor projection system for an artwork in the UK, which has been an exciting challenge. Projections are triggered on the hour as part of the overall light and sound interactive installation. We hope our work will be intriguing, playful and fun for both visitors and local people.”

Ben Hall, director of Sunniside Partnership, said: “We are very proud of the improvements and that Sunniside has attracted prestigious, international artists to come and work in what is becoming a vibrant and creative area.

“The work has included widening pavements, allowing cafés and restaurants to use outdoor seating, and generally improving the links between Sunniside and the rest of the city centre. The installation of the projections as well as new, reflective street lighting and specially designed seating adds to Sunniside’s distinctiveness.

“The project follows on from the success of the award-winning Sunniside Gardens in making the area a really attractive place to spend time in. It is already helping Sunniside to become much more part of the city centre and will benefit the whole area.”

Article Gallery

To download high resolution versions of these images please go to the Media Room

Sunderland arc Limited is registered in England and Wales

Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Accessibility

Sunderland arc    Contact information

t:      f:

e: