A £22,000 cash grant is up for grabs for an "ambitious" new piece of public art.

The successful artist would see their work permanently installed on an historic Southampton street as part of a development of 500 student flats.

The plans for the flats attracted controversy earlier this year when the city's business community said they were "disappointed" that the Grosvenor Square development would not be used as office buildings.

 

Now developers say they want artists to draw on the history of Cumberland Place - but that the creation should be "large scale" "interesting" and "engaging" - creating a new "contemporary landmark" for the city.

And they have cited some of the world's most eye-catching modern artworks as inspiration.

To be installed at the development opposite Watts Park, developers at Victoria Hall Management say they'd like artists to look at the past for inspiration.

 

Cumberland Place was named after 19th century King of Hanover Ernest Augustus - son of George III, a regular visitor to Southampton spa town, and accused of murdering his valet and fathering a son to his sister Princess Sophia.

Watts Park is named after the "godfather" of English hymns, Isaac Watts. He is credited with up to 750 hymns including ‘O God our help in ages past.’

Also associated with Cumberland Place is astronomer and schoolmaster, John Drew, who had his own astronomy academy and observatory on the street in the mid 1800s.

 

Developers say inspiration for the artwork could also come from the new development's name - Southampton Crossings - chosen to reflect the city's many forms of transport.

The work must be installed on site by September 2019.

The commission is being managed by Tower House-based arts organisation a space arts with cash from developers Victoria Hall Management Ltd as part of their section 106 agreement - which asks developers to make a contribution to enhancing the city for the public.