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Left to right: Martin Botham - Horticultural officer Charnwood Borough Council; Mike Jones - º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ in bloom; Ian Tricker - Fine Arts student; Diana Brass - Friends Of Queens Park; Peter Beacham - Fine Arts Co-ordinator, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ; Bernard Sheridan - Green Spaces Manager Charnwood Borough Council

7 Jun 2013

In tune with nature – new sculptures to become part of beauty spot

Ian Tricker, Fine Arts student

A group of new sculptures is set to be unveiled at a Charnwood beauty spot as part of a project to help budding artists bloom.

Three 6ft tall sculptures, named Sound of Time, will pay homage to º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s musical and industrial heritage in Queen’s Park thanks to the work of Ian Tricker, a fine art finalist at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ School of the Arts.

He designed and crafted a tuning fork, a nest of bells and a half-bell and clapper as part of a partnership art project with Charnwood Borough Council and º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ.

The sculptures, which are part of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ in Bloom, are designed to be in tune with the park’s other new arrival, the Great Paul Bell casing, which was recently installed outside Charnwood Museum.

Ian said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for me, as a student, to get a real feel for delivering a public art commission on a high profile site.

“It is brilliant that Charnwood Borough Council is so supportive of the art and local heritage. It is an honour for me to be asked to visit Taylor's Bell Foundry which inspired sculptures which reflect and complement the Great Paul Bell-Case and the unique industrial heritage of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ."

Andrew Selby, Head of Department for the School of the Arts, said: “Our students are eager to make a positive contribution to the community and this work by Ian Tricker has been designed to make the public think about º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s history as an industrial and contemporary manufacturing centre, and reflect on the part they play in this heritage.”

Councillor Hilary Fryer, the Council’s Cabinet member for Cleansing and Open Spaces, said: “Queen’s Park has always been a home for natural beauty and Ian’s tremendous work looks right at home.

“Charnwood has a rich cultural and industrial heritage which I think is celebrated beautifully by these sculptures.

“It is also great to know that the Council is supporting emerging artists by giving them such a massive platform upon which to showcase their work.”

One of the sculptures is engraved with bell-themed poems penned by various authors and later in the summer, there will be an explosion of floral colour to complement the sculptures.

−ENDS−

Notes for editors

Article reference number: PR 13/103

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It was awarded the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year 2008-09 title, and is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in national newspaper league tables. In the 2011 National Student Survey, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ was voted one of the top universities in the UK, and has topped the Times Higher Education league for the Best Student Experience in England every year since the poll's inception in 2006. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, the University has been awarded six Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

It is a member of the 1994 Group of 11 leading research-intensive universities. The Group was established in 1994 to promote excellence in university research and teaching. Each member undertakes diverse and high-quality research, while ensuring excellent levels of teaching and student experience.

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Additional contact information

Mike Underwood
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Charnwood Borough Council
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E: michael.underwood@charnwood.gov.uk