Amazement!

Under the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme Bedford Borough Council has secured funding in the region of £16,364 towards the creation of a seven-ring labyrinth within the grounds of Priory Country Park in Bedford. HAPPEN assisted during the commissioning stages, and artist Susannah Oliver was appointed to take the project forward.

The central aim behind this initiative is a desire to create an engaging and distinctive feature that will add environmental, social and eye appeal to Priory Country Park. Broader ambitions include, but not exclusively, the following;

• To enhance provision for play at the Park
• To stimulate activity and overall enjoyment for us
• To involve young people and local community groups

Priory Country Park

Whilst there are many parks and green spaces in the Borough, Priory Country Park is the only one to be awarded ëgreen flagí status by the Civic Trust. Despite this notable achievement it remains poorly served in terms of equipment-based play areas. The Council wishes to address this, although given the largely natural environment it would be inappropriate to install high-visibility play equipment. Instead alternative approaches are required, and particularly ones that have less overall impact on the immediate environment, whilst still allowing for public interaction and play. To this end, Bedford Borough Council believes there is merit in engaging an artist at the Park as an imaginative alternative to installing traditional play equipment or purchasing a labyrinth 'off the shelf'.

Guiding Principles

A guiding principal behind the commission is that there must be something for visitors to the labyrinth to explore or discover around every corner. There are no preconceptions about the artwork other than it be fit for purpose.

While there is no set theme for the work, it is hoped that by taking an artist-led approach this will add another layer of interest to the labyrinth making it an engaging and welcoming feature for visitors to the Park.

Click here to download the photographic overview of the labyrinth installation.