// ABOUT

public art exists far beyond the aesthetic - it intersects neighbourhoods, community and the social issues of our time

We commission, curate and produce site responsive public art, place activations and wider creative collaborations to inspire engagement with cultural stories. Based in the South West of England, we are official Producing Partners of Art and the Public Realm, an ArtsMark Partner Organisation and a proud member of the Gallery Climate Coalition.

Working at different scales from integrated art + design for complex urban developments to site specific performance, by harnessing culturally responsive, critically engaged thinking, we strategically develop inspiring work that creates communities, activates place and inspires change to strengthen the cultural ecology. Whether the outcomes are temporary or permanent, all projects are derived from the experience of an engagement with place and the ideas that formed them.

Commissioning projects of site and situation-specific works with leading contemporary artists, presenting ideas which consider the world in new ways
Joining forces with and connecting practitioners across disciplines including government, universities, institutions and cultural organisations
Devising adjunct programming and commentary including lectures, engagement programmes and research

For developers, local authorities or investors, public art provides value, cultural investment and a connection with local communities that remains something of an undervalued force. It creates bespoke meeting places or landmarks, aids orientation and enhances urban design goals, and more importantly, can provide a way to engage and build loyalty with the people who live, use and benefit from the places we occupy. Since 2017 we have developed a series of permanent contemporary art commissions for primary schools in Bristol, which is the most significant programme of commissioning art for educational contexts in the country. In 2020 we launched CONFLUENCE, an international programme in partnership with The British Council as part of its Official 21-22 Season.

WHAT WE DO

Formulate strategy and deliver engaging, critical content for diverse audiences
Artist, commercial, government and self initiated projects
Integrated art and design, masterplans, per cent for art, planning + DA and temporary commissions
Creative collaborations, policy, strategy and programme development
Formulate opportunities for diverse sites and contexts (interior, exterior, landscape)
Art strategy and plans, including those to comply with planning conditions
Adjunct strategies for project extension and audience engagement
Funding, budget negotiation, management and control (incl value engineering strategies)
Fabrication, production and maintenance plans
Marketing, communications, community outreach and publicity
Documentation and reporting

OUR APPROACH

Public art is underpinned by critical thinking and serves as a platform to channel new ideas, creating indelible experiences. Successful public art projects become destinations in their own right generating a sense of ownership and connection with those that experience the activated space.

We prioritise the integration of artist’s ideas, articulating the social complexities of our time and the interconnection between place, and the way people respond to their surrounding environments. Designing projects which go beyond the purely functional, to create experiences which reflect the life and aspirations of a wider district, county or region.

Collaboration underpins our approach, which can involve joining forces with architects, artists, contractors, design teams, developers, engineers, executive agencies, fabricators, galleries, government agencies, institutions, interior designers, landscape architects, local authorities, researchers, scientists, urban designers, educators and wider alliances.

Commissions are highly complex and we prioritise projects that engage us from their inception. This allows us to successfully devise an integrated strategy (vs being a reactive after thought) guiding entire projects through to final documentation, which often involves the management of complex relationships between transdisciplinary teams.

We have built a reputation for our dedication to artists and have been fortunate enough to work with some of the world’s leading creatives. We are known for our supportive approach, success at brokering partnerships, and enhancing economies of scale. Our agility means we can manage projects in most locations.

**we welcome hearing about new proposals or discussing interesting ideas:**

**info@thisispony.com**

“What I’ve found is that if we think of development as something that’s just about bricks and mortar, then it’s a very short story. Developers need to remind themselves that they’re partners, allies and brothers”

THEASTER GATES

HOW WE CAN HELP DEVELOPERS

We share a commitment to harmoniously developing communities and enhancing environments:

We understand the commercial world having worked in it ourselves, and strive to create a unified vision
100% track record on first round planning application approvals
Extensive strategic planning experience collaborating with councils, planning departments and federal agencies – we have partnered with local authorities and federal departments to successfully deliver government programmes
Our approach has resulted in creating cost neutral positions for developers
Facility to fully engage in complex strategy, while at the same time take responsibility to solely manage, operationalise and deliver projects
Significant experience with large scale capital works projects and highly complex commissioning models
Curatorial acuity ensures artworks are seamlessly integrated; enriching the over-arching architectural strategy while harmoniously enhancing brand and wider urban design goals
We devise strategy to humanise environments, allowing artists to enrich public life and create a cultural legacy for the future