Common Ground – A Sanctuary of Reclamation and Recovery

by artist Serena Rogers & members of Project Colt Community

Download the Planting List for JPL’s Common Ground at Harrogate

Lead artist: Serena Rogers

The ‘Common Ground’ collaborative artwork is led by Serena Rogers, an award-winning contemporary artist (2024 Visual Art Open Public Choice Award) and Trainee Art Psychotherapist. Serena’s practice explores the beauty found in the weathered and the reclaimed.

Project Colt

Based at Bridgefield Mills in Elland, Project Colt is uniquely situated on a historic bridge between the River Calder and Calder and Hebble Navigation canal. It serves as a thriving industrial hub and a vital community resource.

The organisation operates as a “safe haven” designed to help individuals rebuild their lives following challenges such as addiction, mental health struggles, or social isolation. Project Colt organises free to attend bike maintenance classes as well as community bike rides, creative art classes and has its very own Serenity Wellbeing Garden.

The Inspiration

The collaborative mural draws its inspiration directly from Project Colt mill’s location surrounded by resilient wildflowers and vegetation that climb the industrial stone walls and line the towpaths. Serena uses these plants as a metaphor for the human spirit: “The vegetation surrounding the mill doesn’t wait for permission to grow; it finds and makes its own way through. Our members at Project Colt are doing the same.”

The Collaborative Mural

The mural features striking botanical silhouettes of local canal-side flora, but the true soul of the piece lies within. The Project Colt community -paints the patterns and textures—a collaborative effort by members learning new skills, rediscovering their confidence, or simply sharing space with others. Whether they are seeking employment or a sense of belonging, each member has left their mark on this ‘Common Ground’.

The Legacy: Returning to the Bridge

True to the ethos of reclamation, the ‘Common Ground’ garden is designed for a life far beyond the Harrogate Flower Show. The installation—including Serena’s mural—will be relocated back to Bridgefield Mills in Elland. There, it will serve as a permanent sanctuary on the bridge between the river and the canal, standing as a lasting testament to the resilience of nature and the power of finding “Common Ground”