NEON artwork depicting the words of poet laureate Simon Armitage in a town centre alleyway is hoped to discourage antisocial behaviour in the area.
The work by artist Patrick Murphy - displaying the phrase ‘Sunset totters down Eldon Street trailing its wedding dress’ in white and pink, and a series of coloured lights - is on the side of Parkway Cinema on Eldon Street.
Planning permission is being sought, but the installation is already in place and according to a statement has already encouraged ‘more positive use of the alley by the general public’.
Simon said: “The first time I visited Eldon Street and walked up and down a couple of times I realised it was like walking through a book of poems.
“You’d point at a shop window and there’d be a whole narrative open up, or it was like walking down an aisle in a museum with different exhibits.”
It’s part of the High Street Heritage Action Zone scheme, a partnership between Barnsley Council and Historic England that consists of a raft of improvements and a cultural programme of events.
Dr Tegwen Roberts, from Barnsley Council, added: “Artwork can be completely transformative to a place - you can turn an antisocial area, where people used to be afraid to go, into somewhere vibrant and inviting.
“Since we have transformed the alleyway we have seen all sorts of people, including mums with pushchairs, using it as a short cut.
“This artwork is just the start of what we are trying to do in the area - we want people to get involved and help us breathe new life into Eldon Street, which has always been an important street in the town centre, into something that gives a nod to the past but is fit for the future.”
