Artist needed for Sheffield Tinsley community project

Tinsley's landmark cooling towers were demolished in 2008

A search has begun for an artist to create a public art piece near Sheffield's famous former cooling towers site.

The Tinsley Art Project aims to appoint an artist to develop a design worth up to £450,000.

The piece will be Sheffield's largest-ever public art commission and will be funded by energy company E.ON.

The company pledged the money to the council after the structures were demolished in August 2008.

Andrew Skelton, public art officer at Sheffield City Council, said: "It's an area of change, hope and aspiration."

"Tinsley was an absolute heart of our industrial history, but now it's a fantastic area of bio-diversity - a really rich and pleasant environment to be in."

The project will be in addition to the construction of the man of steel sculpture which will overlook the M1 at Kimberworth.

Mr Skelton said: "I'm hoping that we'll get something that is really innovative and exciting - the crucial thing is that it draws people down there.

"In a fantastic part of the city, the regeneration is happening and people should go down and enjoy it. "