With planning permission successfully granted, work on installing Great Yarmouth’s exciting new sculpture trail is set to begin next month.
With almost all of the sculptures already completed and delivered, a contractor is now set to be appointed to install the artworks, with the trail on target to be open to the public this summer.
The trail will consist of ten sculptures – focusing on themes of maritime and medieval history, arts heritage, seaside, transport and energy, all designed to create a rich and involving experience for locals and visitors.
Well-known Bungay artist Mark Goldsworthy has also created ‘Yarn with Ernie’. To be positioned at the southern end of the Market Place. The sculpture is a tribute to the people of the town using the late Great Yarmouth artist Ernie Childs as inspiration.
Work to begin the installation of ‘Yarn with Ernie’ is scheduled to begin next week and will take about two weeks to complete.
The trail also features an 11th artwork – a specially commissioned section of tiled paving outside Christchurch created by Great Yarmouth’s Reprezent Project to reflect the cultural impact of the town’s Portuguese community.
The tiled paving depicts Phillippa of Lancaster, the Queen of Portugal from 1387 until 1415, and the wife of King John I. Born into England’s Royal Family, her marriage secured the Treaty of Windsor. A key historic figure, her children became known as the ’Illustrious Generation’ in Portugal.
Councillor Graham Plant, deputy leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: ”It is incredibly exciting that the new trail will start to be installed shortly. We were delighted to secure Government funding for this new attraction which will be a real asset for the town and improve our tourism offer.
‘’We have an incredibly rich range of high-quality sculptures that I know people will take to their hearts and be able to enjoy for many years to come.’’
As part of the planning process for the trail, impact assessments were completed for the sculptures positioned close to trees and Norfolk County Council has issued licences for artworks that are on its land.
Wilson Architectural Services has been contracted to make sure the sculptures are installed safely and the company agreed to carry out the work for free because its director, Terry Wilson, lives in Great Yarmouth and is an enthusiastic supporter of the project.
The artists have all provided detailed Installation guides for their pieces, which have been reviewed by structural engineers before contractors fix them in place.
The sculptures will provide an outdoor gallery and circular walking route from the Market Place to the seafront, taking in St George’s Road and park, Regent Road and Church Plain.
The trail is designed to celebrate Great Yarmouth’s cultural diversity and create a sense of pride in place, strengthening the town’s reputation as a walkable town which connects people with their heritage, culture and natural environment.
The £330,000 project has been funded by the Government via Town Deal finance, with the money being ring-fenced for use only on the sculptures, which are intended to create a major new cultural asset for the town.
The council also secured an additional £50,000 of Government Future High Streets funding to commission ‘Yarn with Ernie’ as part of the improvement works nearing completion at the Market Place.
The council worked with organisations including the Royal Society of Sculptors and Norfolk and Suffolk Art Forums, to invite submissions before councillors, officers and representatives from The Arts Council and Historic England, selected the sculptures from a total of 98 submissions.
The artworks celebrate the best of Great Yarmouth, from its role as a circus capital, its maritime and medieval history, through to its embracing of clean energy and transport links.
