"Car Space or Our Space?"
Travel Awareness; Public Art and Sustainable Travel

WINNER OF THE "MOST INNOVATIVE TRAVELWISE PROJECT" BY THE NATIONAL TRAVEL AWARENESS ASSOCIATION

In 2006 Chrysalis Arts developed and managed this project in North Yorkshire which aimed to get people thinking about the use of space in their market towns. It was commissioned by North Yorkshire County Council and Funded by Arts Council England.

The project travelled around North Yorkshire Primary Schools and Market Towns.

Puppeteer Vivien Mousdell created unique displays of artwork for each Market Town working with children from various schools. These were displayed in a car that had been transformed by Automata artist Johnny White into a kinetic artwork, he added an automata family with animated thought bubbles about their stressful car journey that popped up out of the roof. The man's eyes flashed red, the mother's brain popped out of her head; the daughter had steam streaming out of her nostrils. Filmmaker Jo Millet also worked with schools to create a DVD about parking issues in market towns which was shown as part of the car's display.

Geoff Gardener of NYCC, who commissioned the project, said: "This project encourages people to look around the market town they live in, and consider what alternatives could be made of parking spaces. This project is not anti-car, it is pro-town, we need towns full of vitality that encourage creative and talented people to stay in the area."