Torbay Connected

Client: Torbay Council

Torbay Connected offered an approach to building a greater sense of place and identity through embedding cultural projects in Torbay’s physical and social infrastructure to connect people and place. The practice and art of ‘place making’ has come into prominence over the last few years. Our approach was to ensure that the voices of creativity and culture sit alongside others to contribute to the diversity of place that gives Torbay it’s distinctive identity,especially in relation to it’s status as the world’s first urban Geopark. The topic was wide and far reaching and it was easy to try to change too much too quickly. We therefore took an approach that will encourage discussion and debate around ‘place’ and then to deliver physical projects based on the ‘pearl and string’ approach forming a series of projects and happenings that link places and destinations.

The process was experimental and relied on developing a dialogue between community and professionals working in public spaces and also between disciplines. Torbay Connected was developed as an independent initiative through a partnership between Torbay Council and Ginkgo Projects. The initiative was designed to integrate with and support the emerging strategic cultural development and conversations within the Bay and to respond to the new localism agenda and to people centered regeneration.