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Yorkshire Roses light-up Barnsley’s skyline as The Seam Digital Campus opens
It was a spectacular night of celebration in Barnsley, the UK’s first government-backed Tech Town, as we opened phase one of The Seam Digital Campus on Monday 23 March.
Situated within the UK’s first Investment Zone, The Seam is a space that will bring the public and private sectors together to innovate, stimulating the growth of technology and digital businesses in Barnsley and positioning the town as a forward-thinking hub for creative innovation.
Using a combination of Future High Streets Funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and council funding, the Lower Seam has been transformed with the three stunning Yorkshire Rose sculptures now standing proudly above a beautiful 4,700sqm urban park.
The central sculpture, which stands at 15m tall, has been named the 'Mater' (Mother) Rose, while the two additional 12m sculptures flanking it have been named the 'Pruna' (Glowing Coal) Rose and 'Vitrum' (Glass) Rose, honouring the borough’s industrial heritage.
The public realm, meanwhile, is made up of three separate high-quality natural gardens - the biodiversity garden, the digital garden and the town centre link – which bring together digital innovation, culture and nature in the heart of the town, and a central plaza.
The evening began with a moving performance from the Barnsley Youth Choir to guests in the Digital Media Centre before proceedings moved outside to the central plaza where LIMIT ZERO put on a show for the crowd.
Artin Light then wowed the audience with a captivating light and sound display from the Yorkshire Roses, showing off the capabilities of the impressive structures.
The Lower Seam car park, which has upgraded facilities including EV chargers, well-lit pedestrian walkways, additional trees, better lighting and upgraded CCTV, will be open and operational from Tuesday 24 March, bringing 286 spaces back into use.
“It’s fantastic to open phase one of The Seam Digital Campus, a project which has been years in the making in the UK’s first Investment Zone.
“The shows from the Barnsley Youth Choir, LIMIT ZERO and Artin were incredible, and I thank all three groups for their contributions to a thoroughly entertaining night.
“The Yorkshire Rose sculptures are an incredible addition to our town centre and will be a proud symbol of our new status as the UK’s first government-backed Tech Town as well as driving forward the ambition from our Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy of being the UK’s leading digital town.
“The technology involved is second to none and will provide some excellent opportunities for everyone, including our children and young people, to connect art and technology and explore new and emerging programmes which will help them to thrive in the modern world.
“We can’t wait to see the Roses become a feature of future events, with planning already underway for their involvement in Bright Nights, Christmas, our bid to be UK Town of Culture 2028, and the rest of our outstanding events programme.
“My thanks go to Tim Ward, who designed the sculptures, and every single person who has helped to make our vision a reality, particularly those at Willmott Dixon, Stage One, DZA and The Seam Project Board at the council. We wanted to add something unique to Barnsley, and we’ve certainly done that.
“But if we stand still, our local economy will stand still, which is why our ambitions for The Seam don't stop at phase one.
“Plans for phase two include a high-quality hotel, a National Centre for Digital Technologies and a third Digital Media Centre. This will add to the existing infrastructure and make it a hub for tech and digital businesses and a catalyst for further growth and innovation in our local and regional economy.”
For more information about The Seam Digital Campus, go to theseam.digital.
