Bristol former railway station turned into creative space

A mission to bring life back to a disused former railway station platform has led to a creative arts project.

Mangotsfield Railway Station in Bristol will play host to a 12-month series of creative commissions by local artists.

The Mangotsfield Folly programme has been developed around a purpose-built folly structure.

"We want to let people to take ownership of the site's rich history," said folly architect, Rob Elkins.

Once a stop on the railway route between Bristol and Birmingham, Mangotsfield Station closed in 1966.

Its remains now form a distinctive part of the Bristol and Bath Railway Path, which was opened by Sustrans.

"Mangotsfield Folly hopes to encourage more people, whether they are walking or cycling past, to visit this beautiful place," said Mr Elkins.

"We want to evolve the complex history of the site with artistic and architectural concepts."

The programme includes a series of artist takeovers, performances and workshops.

The project has been funded by Arts Council England and Emersons Green Town Council, and led by freelance curator Suzanne Heath and Mr Elkins from Artel 31 Architects.

"I'm a massive fan of street architecture, the temporary nature of it," added Mr Elkins.

"I firmly believe that structures are better when they evolve and respond to their environment, and I can't wait to see how different people take on the folly and interpret its surroundings."

Paul Fearnside and Alex Lucas, an artist duo from Bristol that form Lucas Antics, performed the first takeover.

"We decided to paint a mural that focused on hidden worlds, looking at insects that might be seen as rogue, like slugs and snails," said Mr Fearnside.

"We wanted to think about the fantastic universe they might live in while we are not looking, and the mischief they might get up to.

"There is so much natural, undisturbed life around the folly thanks to its disused nature, and we wanted to play with that."

There has been an open call for a series of bursaries for emerging local artists to takeover the site.

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