Art / Stokes Croft
PRSC launches Westmoreland House Memorial Print
This Saturday, November 10, the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft will celebrate the history of their near-neighbour, the derelict Westmoreland House – and fundraise towards its possible survival.
PRSC are launching a series of limited-edition, hand-finished screen prints of the controversial disused building on the Saturday evening from 6pm-9.30pm at their Jamaica Street headquarters.
“This print is also the first step in helping Stokes Croft take back control from the forces of gentrification, as the money raised from sales of the print will help fund the early stages of the setting up of Stokes Croft Land Trust,” PRSC tell us.
is needed now More than ever
“Even before Burning Candy painted the giant skull and crocodile on its upper stories, the gutted hulk of Westmoreland House was a symbol of the dilapidation of Stokes Croft. This very neglect by land-bankers and property owners is why PRSC, graffiti artists, squatters and other alternative and creative types adopted the area, and how it come to be the Cultural Quarter and Outdoor Gallery we know and love today: and the walls of Westmoreland House have been one of its main attractions for more than a decade.”
The print, drawn by Bristol artist object and printed in Stokes Croft by the PRSC, depicts many aspects of its history and use since its abandonment, as well as parts of many of the layers of graffiti which have built up on its walls.
Funds raised from the print will also help PRSC in their crusade to safeguard Westmoreland House and the neighbouring Carriageworks for the Stokes Croft community. “As we look to the future, the replacement of Westmoreland House with a brand new development is itself representative of the gentrification of the area, and pushing out of the creative energy that made Stokes Croft one of the ‘trendiest places to live in the UK.’,” PSRC explain.
Westmoreland House (left) and its Stokes Croft neighbour, The Carriageworks
“The setting up of a land trust, to safeguard buildings and land that are community assets, is the only way we can see to hold back the tide of gentrification. Shares in Stokes Croft Land Trust would be issued to the community, and all property it held in trust would be protected for the benefit of the community in perpetuity. Money made from sales of the prints will help with the initial stages of creating the SCLT, allowing people to work on creating the necessary infrastructure to get it off the ground.”
Westmoreland House Memorial Print Launch Sat, Nov 10, People’s Republic of Stokes Croft, 6-9.30pm. For more info, visit prsc.org.uk/event/westmoreland-house-memorial-poster-launch
Read more: Cultural vision for derelict Stokes Croft eyesore
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