Public art is to play an important role in the development of Bro Tathan, a place where high-tech industries can flourish in a climate of innovation and creative thinking. Artists are invited to bid for three public art projects: a gateway sculpture to mark the site’s main entrance; a creative boundary screening solution; and an environmental/land art project. These publicly accessible works will add character and originality to the new development zone, inviting visitors to explore the area and enjoy the artists’ contributions.

Bro Tathan is a significant and unique business park located in an attractive setting in the Vale of Glamorgan. It has an operational runway on site, is close to an international airport and near to the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Bro Tathan’s airfield was transferred from military to civilian operation on 1 April 2019, further promoting the site for new business opportunities that require on-wing activity, such as the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft.

With a strong geographical and historical heritage, Bro Tathan was named after the Celtic saint who founded a church in the area in the fourteenth century. It also embraces Wales’s rich bilingual culture. Its strap line: ‘Business • Air • Innovation Busnes • Awyr • Arloesedd’ signifies the vast range of its potential, and Bro Tathan will become synonymous with success in those sectors, hosting ambitious companies from start-ups to internationally recognised brand names.

Global car icon Aston Martin is already operating there as an anchor business with significant available space across Bro Tathan to attract further businesses and employment. Bro Tathan’s owner, the Welsh Government, has big ambitions for the site, given its scale and the proximity to an operational runway, for companies needing easy access to air freight, UK and international markets.

As part of the development of Y Porth, the Welsh Government is commissioning three public art projects to enhance the ‘gateway’ to the site and create a distinctive and exciting welcome for visitors to Bro Tathan. This brief is for the gateway sculpture commission marking the site’s northern entrance.