Cornwall Design Season 2011

Opening Hours

Lizard Point (King Harry Ferry) Everyday: 10am - 4pm

Carbis Bay (Richard Trevithick Machines) Everyday: 10am - 4.30pm

Penzance Prom (Eden Project) This container is for public use in location, and is available for booking (see the blog for info)

Cotehele House (SAS + The Wetsuit) Finished for the Season.

New Cut car park, Redruth (Rephlex) Finished for the Season.

Porthleven (Titanium) Finished for the Season.

Park & Ride, Truro (ShelterBox) Finished for the Season.

Godrevy, nr Hayle (Zoeftig) Finished for the Season.

Lemon Quay, Truro (Plain an Gwarry and the Minack) Finished for the Season.

Fistral Beach, Newquay (Serpentine) Finished for the Season.

The following exhibitions are subject to change and we will do our best to keep yourselves updated daily through this site and on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Boscastle Closed - the exhibition that was planned for the second show in Boscastle is now at the Lizard - there will be no second show at Boscastle

Eden Project (Tate St Ives) Finished for the Season.

Events Square, Falmouth Clay Dryers Finished for the Season.

Camel Trail, Wadebridge (Watergate Bay + Fifteen) Finished for the Season.

Biddicks Court, St Austell (Engineered Arts) Finished for the Season.

A historic crossing

Nominated by Candy Smit, Creative Director, Lost Gardens of Heligan

Sometimes even the quaintest of designs can have a significant bearing on history. On 11th August 1644, a small but picture-perfect bridge near Bodmin did just that, by playing a hand in the English Civil War. Made up of five stone arches dating back to the 15th century,  Respryn Bridge provides access across the River Fowey to one of Cornwall's grandest stately homes. During the civil war the house was captured by King Charles' Royalists, with the king himself riding his horse across the bridge to help protect the grounds from his enemy.  Although King Charles would eventually meet his demise, the bridge survived both the Civil War and the industrial revolution – even after the local hamlet of Respryn was demolished to make room for Brunel's expanding rail network.  Nowadays, despite recent flooding from the Fowey wreaking havoc in the local area, the bridge still stands – a paradise for artists, photographers and ramblers, and the occasional stopping point for lorries sent astray by faulty Sat Navs. And none should fail but be inspired by this idyllic ancient structure. Its design has withstood the test of time, and in its own simple way, written itself into a chapter of Cornish history. 

Setting new boundaries in clothing design Nominated by Paul Davies, Chair Cornwall Design Forum

We could be talking about a storm-ridden area of the shipping forecast. We could be talking about Cape Finisterre, an exposed headland in northwest Spain and the Southern most landfall of the Bay of Biscay. But only one Finisterre can be related to really forward thinking design – and they are designs that help us to withstand any conditions these places may throw at us. When surfer Tom Kay first set up Finisterre he had three main points in mind – product, people and environment. But in developing Finisterre with the crew at Wheal Kitty, they have created a company, a concept, that never stands still.  It is constantly looking to improve, to learn and to grow in a sustainable way. Now there’s a whole bunch of talented folk (and some dogs) making up the team – using the brand as a vehicle for their passions. Finisterre continues to set new boundaries in clothing design, only to break those boundaries the following year.  They use materials derived from recycled, animal-friendly or easily renewable origins.  They start with a fibre, and from this a design grows. Everything is considered, right through to how it can be repaired, maintained, recycled, broken down and disposed of. This involves leading the way in sustainable, recycled and recyclable materials, including the innovative use of natural fibres. It’s about taking the most that nature can throw at you, and continuing to work out ways to keep the warmth in and the cold out. And for what end? To produce super-effective jackets, jumpers and thermals, of course. Finisterre may well be storm-ridden seas and exposed headlands. But it’s also a lesson in how to make good design great.

Inventor of the ‘Rocket’ life-saving apparatus Nominated by Jonathan Griffin, Director National Maritime Museum

How do you get people safely off of a grounded ship?  This was that thought going through Henry Trengrouse’s mind when, in 1807, he watched the H.M.S Anson hit the rocks at Low Bar, near Porthleven. This was to become the catalyst for his greatest design -the Rocket Life-Saving Apparatus. It was frankly a stroke of genius.  Inspired by a fireworks party he attended later in the year, he designed a rocket-propelled line that could be used to get crew from a stricken ship.  It used the weather to best advantage, using the onshore winds that drove the ship onto the rocks to take the rocket further ashore.  He then developed a system where ropes could be passed back and forth along the line, and a sliding chair or handle could be attached as a means of evacuation. It was a resounding success.  The Society of Arts awarded Trengrouse their Silver Medal. Eventually the government ordered twenty of Trengrouse's 'Rocket Life Saving Apparatus'. But success was bitter sweet.  Having examined his invention, the government decided to manufacture it themselves, and gave him the derisory sum of £50 in compensation.  Henry Trengrouse, still living in Helston, died penniless in 1854. Amazingly, over 150 years after their invention, lightweight versions of Trengrouse’s rocket are still carried in lifeboats today. That, it seems is how to get people safely off a grounded ship.

A great design principle

Nominated by Tom Henderson OBE, Founder of Shelterbox For many of us, the essence of Cornwall can be summed up in one motion. Standing by the sea and breathing in deeply; then breathing out. What makes award-winning brand Seasalt successful is that it seems to do the same thing – metaphorically at least – all day, every day. The Seasalt team’s design process is led by ‘breathing in’ all that is Cornish; walks in the woods or along the coast are followed by leaf rubbings, hand drawings, block printing and mixing up dyes. Designer Sophie Chadwick inhales her sea view daily. Photoshoots suck up inspiration-rich locations, from the Jubilee Pool, Penzance, to Seasalt director David Chadwick’s back garden. The result? Functional clothing with a creative edge. Then comes the ‘breathing out’; taking stock, being accountable. Seasalt is committed to having a positive social and environmental impact. As a company, it’s the largest producer of Soil Association certified organic clothing in the UK; 61% of its clothing is currently certified, and that figure is growing all the time. It ensures its suppliers meet ethical trading standards. It cares about the local community, with projects ranging from sponsoring recycling bins to getting local people knitting to raise money for charity. Breathe in, breathe out. It’s a great design principle.

To Lusk and back

Nominated by Simon Tregoning, Classic Cottages

Helston isn’t exactly the epicentre of Microsoft, Nike or Motorola but it is the home of Classic Cottages. What’s the link? Ask graphic designer Kate Tregoning. Inspired by a father who told her to get the hell out of Cornwall, Kate took her MA from the Royal College of Art to The States, after 5 years in London working with the likes of Malcolm Garret, Stephen Male and Sean Perkins. After a short stint in New York, she found her feet in Portland, Oregon, with Weiden & Kennedy, an acclaimed advertising agency. During this time she created the Lusk Wyoming campaign that changed America’s view about Microsoft. She then moved back to New York to help broaden the fan base of ice hockey with Susan Sarandon. Followed Michael Jordan’s cult label a gang of uber-athletes from the worlds of baseball, football, hockey, boxing and basketball. Rather than go the green card route she returned to London for new adventures and a client she knew well, Classic Cottages, the family business. Her elegant design now runs deep through the company and has earned it awards from the Guardian and Observer, plus a few closer to home. Talking of home, she now lives here with her husband and daughters.  No doubt one day she’ll tell them to scarper too.

The Heart of Cornwall’s Cultural Landscape

Nominated by Carolyn Rule, Cornwall Council Cabinet member for Economy and Regeneration

If you listen carefully, you can hear it. The heartbeat of a visionary project that will soon change Cornwall’s cultural landscape forever. It’s an ambitious scheme. An eye-popping £35 million pounds has been invested to will transform a former mining site in Pool into a not-for-profit social enterprise.  The aim is to create a low carbon, sustainable community development.  Heartlands will showcasinge and raisinge awareness of the local culture, heritage and natural environment. Like Eden did for Mid Cornwall and the Tate did for St Ives, Heartlands will put Pool firmly on the map, breathing life into the surrounding area. The grand opening, scheduled for autumn 2011, is eagerly anticipated. The focal point of the site is the Grade II listed Robinson’s Shaft mine complex.  It’ll be restored and adapted to act as the launch pad for the visitor experience, using artefacts and interactive resources to tell the story of Cornish mining. Heartlands is all about bringing people together, sharing knowledge and experimenting with new ways of working.  Local residents and community partners have made significant contributions to the project. been invited to have their say, working with the Heartlands team to turn their ideas into reality. From craft workshops and outdoor art galleries to acres of gardens and parkland to explore, it’s a feast for the senses.  Something remarkable is about be born.  And that’s just the start. Like all living things, Heartlands will grow and develop over time.

Soul-enhanced Jewellery

Nominated by Sarah Braddock-Clarke, Lecturer, University College Falmouth

Sculptural, textural, sea-worn and raw. In 2009, when a Penzance-based jewellery designer won one of the most prestigious contemporary crafts prizes in the UK, these were the words used to describe the brilliance of her work. As if any further evidence is required to prove Cornwall had had an influence on her.

Like so many of the great artists to call this county home, Emily Nixon's jewellery embodies the very soul of the Cornish landscape. A former director at the Newlyn Art Gallery, it’s her use of unusual and unpolished rough stones that set her designs apart – combining the very earth of the region, with hand-made gold and silver sculptures.

The attention created by her achievements have led to Emily's work being exhibited across the country, and she's even had the unique privilege of seeing one of her necklaces worn by Mary Porter, in the BBC's Mary Queen of Shops. But if recent evidence is anything to go by, her feet, or rather, hands have remained firmly rooted in Cornish soil. Her work continues to be described as rich, natural and coastal. And more importantly, she still uses local materials straight from the ground as the inspiration for her jewellery. 

Craft Fair

At the Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro

Pop in on…

Good Friday: 11am - 4pm Easter Saturday: 10am - 5pm Tuesday 26th April: 10am - 5pm Wednesday 27th April: 10am - 5pm Thursday 28th April: 10am - 5pm Saturday 30th April: 10am - 5pm Spring Bank Holiday: 11am - 4pm

Legacy of a visionary inventor

Nominated by Loveday Jenkin

Exhibition designed by Jason Cleverly

Location Carbis Bay, St Ives "Disobedient, slow and obstinate” was how Richard Trevithick was described in his schooldays. Who would have thought that he was to become one of Cornwall’s greatest designers and inventors?

Trevithick designed his first model high-pressure steam engines to replace horse transport and drain the mines.  In his engines the used steam from the cylinders exhausted to atmosphere, avoiding the need for James Watt’s patented condenser.

The engine was smaller, cheaper and more efficient than that of Watt.  It was a significant technological step forward that replaced Watt’s expensive lumbering engines and avoided his demand for payments from all who used them.  It arrived just as Watt’s patent expired and he left Cornwall for good.

One invention wasn’t enough for Trevithick.  He went on to design the Cornish boiler, a dredger, the ships’ propeller and refrigeration.  His first railway locomotive was running twenty-five years before George Stephenson’s Rocket.  Trevithick’s engine design drove the industry and transport of the Industrial Revolution.  The principles in Trevithick’s boiler are still used today in nuclear power stations and are being incorporated into other ideas for clean forms of energy.

As we seek an alternative to fossil fuels, we can learn from Trevithick, a man well before his time.  His high pressure engine revolutionized the power of steam, and its further development is being researched.  Who knows –his engines from the past may give us answers in the future?

One thing’s for sure.  Trevithick may have been disobedient, even obstinate.  But he was never slow.  On the contrary, it was his ideas that helped us to move faster and travel further. 

And who knows how far they will go? 

Blog: likeyoursleeves.tumblr.com Price: £5 {Discount for Swappers} Date: Friday 6th May 2011 Location: The Poly, Falmouth Who: UCF Design Students - Hannah Blackledge, Alex Dallison & Sophie Turner + In association with PANTS Charitable Organisation With the aim to raise awareness about the fashion possibilities within charity shop donations and the importance of ethical shopping; I Like Your Sleeves invites you to an evening of fashionable, guilt-free shopping and style! The evening includes a SWAP SHOP event, a CHARITY CATWALK and DRINKS. Help to raise money for charity by bringing along your old, unwanted items; earning tokens in place of money to swap for other peoples discarded treasures. The catwalk will help to identify great fashion tips and highlight the potential that our charity shops have within high-street fashions.

The space age metal

Nominated by Sam Lanyon, founder Concept Shed Exhibition designed by Geraldine Jones Sponsored by Monkey Puzzle Art, Trevena Cross Nurseries, Ti Shop and Swarovski

Location Porthleven Ship Yard | 26th March - 25th April

Surfing, a political and economic force

Nominated by Tom Tagholm, Creative Director C4 and Rick Stein

Exhibition designed by SLuRP

Exhibition sponsored by Contec Landscaping

Location Cotehele House / 19 Feb – 25 Apr

Challenging government policy. Confronting multinational corporations. Standing up to water company contempt. Securing national and international victories to protect the UK’s beaches, waves and coastline… Introducing Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) – the national environmental NGO run by a dedicated and passionate group of Cornwall-based surfers, water-users and environmentalists. Giant turds. Expert opinions. Surfboards. Gas masks. Fancy dress. Scientific reports. Celebrities. An unlikely mix for sure, but vital weapons in the arsenal that ‘Britain’s coolest environmental pressure group’ (The Independent) has used to bring about significant political and environmental change. Like all the best designs, SAS evolved out of necessity - the need to clean up and protect the UK’s unique coastline for those who use it. SAS has achieved many great victories in its 20-year history; perhaps most notably in helping eradicate continuous sewage discharges at our beaches. Alarmingly however, in 2011, our coastlines remain under critical threat from many factors. Almost 22,000 combined sewer overflows still discharge raw sewage after heavy rainfall – a problem that looks set to increase with the extreme weather patterns caused by climate change. Today SAS is campaigning hard as ever, on key issues from marine litter to climate change, sewage discharges to protecting waves from development, access and pollution threats. The unique design of SAS’ bold, playful but hard-hitting campaigns has reaped some impressive results and gained the NGO a 7,000-strong membership base, plus tens of thousands of supporters nationwide. There are few, if any, environmental organisations with the same stance and tone. And fewer still who’ve played such a momentous role in safeguarding the wonderful marine playground we know and love. Join them at  www.sas.org.uk

Story written by Stranger Collective

World capital of Cornish braindance

Nominated by Jono Wardle, Award Leader, BA (hons) Advertising, University College Falmouth Exhibition designed by Maf pHew

Location New Cut car park, Redruth | 28th March - 25th April

 Land of epic ampitheatres

Nominated by Tim Smit, CEO Eden Project and Rose Barnecut, Cornwall Council Exhibition designed by Rob Self-Pierson and Sam Gray Sponsored by 26, Miracle Theatre, Active Colour, Learning Resources and Significant Signs

Location Lemon Quay, Truro | 26th March - 25th April

Coming from the ancient Greek words amphi-, meaning ‘around’, and théātron, meaning ‘place for viewing’, amphitheatres are all around us in Cornwall. Taking this most classic of designs and making it their own, Cornish people over the ages have developed their own ‘places for viewing’ to enjoy outdoor performances as only they know how. In the 1990s, Tim Smit spotted an opportunity in a china clay pit, the ultimate natural amphitheatre. As well as the biomes for which the Eden Project is famous, the Eden Sessions Stage – an amphitheatre within an amphitheatre – is a world famous music venue that makes the most of stunning natural acoustics. But Eden is just the latest in a long tradition of Cornish amphitheatres. The oldest is St Just’s Plain an Gwarry, (or ‘playing place’), which dates from the mid 18th century and once had six tiers of seating. Today only a grass bank survives. Perranzabuloe’s Piran Round is Cornwall’s other plain an gwarry, but there were once many more – used for sport and performing Cornish plays. Gwennap Pit, a depression caused by mining subsidence, was used for preaching and made famous by John Wesley between 1776 and 1789. Perhaps the most breathtaking is that built by Rowenna Cade in the 1930s – using her bare hands! The Minack, nestled into the cliffs above stunning Porthcurno beach, was originally built for a local production of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’. The ‘theatre under the stars’ is now one of Cornwall’s most dramatic venues. So there really are ‘places for viewing’ all ‘around’ Cornwall – you just have to know where to look.