Textile and Fibre Optic

Artists Helen Turner and Van Nong worked on a piece called 'The Fullness of Time' on the front of Skipton Town Hall. The work transformed the front of the Town Hall into a giant illuminated clock face. A series of banners show hourglasses filling with sand rather than sand running through, a metaphor of time coming to fruition rather than running out. It does seem that the time has come for market towns. After years of investment in urban regeneration, market towns and their rural hinterland are obtaining resources to start developing strategies for the 21st Century.

Temporary transformations are just the beginning of exploring what Skipton could be like in 10 to 20 year's time. Will it be free from traffic? Will it be alive with creative industries? Will it be landscaped into cultural quarters that attract new people to settle and enjoy the ambience of street cafes on a warm summer's evening? There is much work to be done to attract new investment to regenerate the markets of the future that will be the economic trading base of Market Towns. Skipton has made a bold and positive start by employing artists from day one to help the visioning process and explore the possibilities of its future.

The project was funded by Skipton Town Council, Craven District Council and Yorkshire Forward.