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Friday, 12th March 2010

New sculpture set for St Helens (add your comments)

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Published Date: 08 May 2008
WHAT do you think of this?
The 20ft sculpture of a girl's head has been unveiled as the North West's next big public art project - in St Helens!
The £1.3 million landmark, known as the Dream, aims to be the region's answer to the North East's Angel of the North.
It has been commissioned by councillors in St Helens, Merseyside, and will be placed on the top of a former spoil heap at a shut-down coal mine.
The design, the head of a girl with her eyes closed, will be made of pre-cast concrete, with a white, slightly luminescent finish using a white marble and concrete mix.
The materials are designed to contrast with the black of the coal that still lies below.
The Dream was chosen by former miners at the Sutton Manor colliery and local residents in talks with artist Jaume Plensa.
A spokeswoman said the panel ''wanted a piece that looked to a brighter future and created a beautiful and contemplative space for future generations''.
Gary Conley, who was part of the group of former miners from Sutton Manor, said: ''When we were approached over two years ago to nominate the site, the ex-miners of the focus group and I would have been happy to just have a memorial erected on the site.
''Now, our eyes have been opened to what art can mean to a community. Consequently we wanted something that was more than just another mining monument.''
Plensa, who has exhibited across the world, added: ''My work is first and foremost about celebrating life and the human experience of standing in between past and present, present and future, knowledge and ignorance.''

* What do you think? Add your comments and we'll print the best in next week's St helens Reporter.

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  • Last Updated: 08 May 2008 10:13 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: St Helens
 
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elaine heaton,

sthelens 21/05/2008 18:01:21
The Dream landmark will be a fresh new and modern look for STHelens, it was choosen by miners one of whom i know and they are very proud of it ! come on STHelens lets all move forward together! and also 3 cheers for our new rugby stadium !
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Colin Henshaw,

Tabuk 17/09/2008 07:00:44
One million three hundred thousand pounds just to build a statue? That is absolutely disgraceful.

Those councillors responsible should be tossed out at the next local council elections. Such financial incompetence is not acceptable

David Cameron commented on spiralling council expenditure in Dewsbury (2008). He said “There is nothing more depressing than paying a whacking great cheque to the council and then watching it being squandered on pointless schemes and vanity projects driven by councillors on an ego trip.”
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Mark001,

St Helens 20/04/2009 12:13:32
I don't understand peoples objections.
For a start this has not been funded from the councils coffers, and hence my council tax money. I suggest you do your research next time.

Dream has been funded by the Big Art Project, Arts Council of England, the National Development Agency for the Arts and the Art Fund.

This money was set aside for Arts projects and has been earmarked for this project for quite some time long before the current global financial crisis arose.

It would have been more of a waste of money to scrap it after so much money had already been spent.

Personally I like it.

Local resident.

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Gillian Adams,

25/04/2009 06:43:40
So proud of the sculpture unveiled this week in Sutton Manor, St Helens. 65' high she is a beautiful, poignant, absolutely sublime dreaming child - the future of the town overlooking its industrious past - the coal mines.
The joints of the segments were still being cemented when we went today, but to experience her head held high against the sky and the serenity of her countenance is awe inspiring. Illuminated in the evening, what a beacon of hope for the town. just brings a lump to my throat.

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jmurphypsa,

Bold 26/04/2009 14:02:11
I've just been to see Dream, I thought I'd like to see it before it is covered in graffiti.
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