Olympic Deckchairs Project – March 2011 This unique project is part of the 2012 Public Art Commissioning Programme, funded by Arts Council England South West and in readiness for the 2012 Olympics. Artists Heather Parnell, David Mackie, Becky Adams along with locally based artists Kim Edwards and Sandra Stalker have been appointed to work with residents of the borough to design hundreds of digitally manufactured deckchairs for use on Weymouth Beach.  The aim is to engage participants in the design of a series of deckchairs which are each unique, whilst also having an overall design quality, uniting the chairs so they create an impact en mass. 370 residents of Weymouth and Portland, of all age ranges and interests have signed up to contribute to the design phase of the project. Ideas for themes, images, compositions and colourways are being explored during practical workshops and these will inform the final deckchair designs. Design strategies generated in the workshops will be employed to create an overall quality to the mass of deckchairs. In addition, the completed designs will contain lots of images that will be clearly recognisable by their authors. About the artists - Heather Parnell, David Mackie and Becky Adams are a team of artists from South Wales. They have an extensive background in public and community art, working in the realm of ceramics, metals, textiles, book art and fine art. They love to involve members of the community in the creative process through practical workshops and active consultation. contact:davidcmackie@gmail.com