Jersey artists to be involved in construction projects under new partnership
ArtHouse Jersey and Ashbe Construction Ltd have launched a partnership to embed artists into briefs and collaboration for local building work across the island.
Jersey is set to bring more artists into the places people live and work, after ArtHouse Jersey and Ashbe Construction Ltd announced a new partnership focused on construction projects.
Under the arrangement, ArtHouse Jersey will identify and connect Ashbe with artists whose work fits the scale and local context of each project, including residential, commercial and infrastructure developments.. The selected artist would then be involved in project briefs and work alongside architects and construction teams.
The partnership also aims to open up new commissioning prospects for local artists within the construction and development sector, while making public art a more visible and valued part of everyday life.
This matters because it shifts public art from an afterthought to an input during early planning, when design decisions are still taking shape.
ArtHouse Jersey’s CEO, Tom Dingle, said the collaboration will place artists “at the heart of how spaces are conceived and experienced,” particularly by working with Ashbe at an early stage of the development process.
Meanwhile, Ashbe Construction Ltd’s managing director, Ben Cairney, framed the partnership as a way to connect structural excellence with cultural value.. He also referenced the way the planning policy known as “Percentage for Art” can be treated as more than a requirement, describing it as an investment in the island’s creative future.
The policy referred to here requires developers to put a portion of development costs toward providing public art, and the partnership is designed to help that investment carry creative weight from the start.
For residents, that approach could mean more public artwork that reflects the communities where development happens, rather than something added later when choices are more limited.
Misryoum will keep an eye on how the partnership progresses as projects move from early briefs into delivery, and whether the model grows beyond individual schemes.