ARTWORK to honour one of Worcestershire’s most well-known cricketing sons and a famous visit by two American presidents could both be part of a £50,000 scheme to promote art in the city’s public spaces.

A new action plan to develop and promote public art schemes throughout the city would be adopted if the Worcester City Council’s place and economic development subcommittee backs a call for an initial £50,000 to fund it.

Works to honour cricketer Basil D’Oliveira and the visit of the second and third presidents of the United States, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, to Fort Royal Park are included in the plans.

A report, to be read by the subcommittee at a meeting next Monday (October 22), sets out the key aims of the art strategy which are promoting the city as modern and progressive whilst boosting tourism and the economy and celebrating the city’s famous heritage.

If adopted, two working groups would be piloted to develop art in specific locations around the city.

The first group, Riverside Park, would be filled with representatives from the city and county council as well as river and canal trusts, the University of Worcester, Worcestershire Arts Partnership and independent artists and organisations from around the city.

The second group would focus on the city centre and would also call on the help of Worcester BID and the Chamber of Commerce.

An umbrella group called Art in Public Places Forum would be created to oversee the direction of art in the city and ensure all of the organisations are working towards the same goal.

It is hoped the proposal for an initial £50,000 rolling fund would kick-start and support public art initiatives and the two working groups whilst allowing discussions to take place between potential funders and sponsors to increase the kitty to £100,000.

In recent years, public art in the city has most often been created through independent initiative’s by artists or art groups or by money handed over to the council by developers to pay for community and social infrastructure – better known as section 106 agreements.

For example, if a housing estate was built by a developer, city planners would ask for a piece of artwork to be included in the plans before granting permission.