About the Project
The Story
In the beginning…
This website is dedicated to the people of Peterborough. When I was researching the city for a thesis on the creative industries in my area for my MA project, I was surprised to find so many innovative companies in the city that I had never noticed before. I conducted further studies on the nature of some of the businesses that piqued my curiosity. While looking for content for my essay, I stumbled across a number of sculptures throughout the city. I decided to look up information on them. Due to many businesses and organisations shutting down or working with skeleton staffing during the pandemic, my search for more information was challenging. Beside that, the contract with Peterborough City Council and Vivacity, the firm managing some of the prominent sculptures, was coming to an end. It took me several months to find someone who could assist me in my mission. Following the termination of Vivacity’s contract with Peterborough City Council on November 30, 2020, Nene Park Trust assumed care of 25 sculptures in Ferry Meadow Park, Thorpe Meadow Sculpture Park, and several other sculptures in the city.
The Project
Peterborough Sculptures
The following stage surprised me because I had previously shown little interest in sculptures. For my major study I decided to concentrate on the Peterborough Sculpture Collection. Due to the pandermic restrictions and the loss of Vivacity’s contract with Peterborough City Council, I had trouble locating information on most of the sculptures. Thankfully, I was able to get some of the information directly from the artists. I was later put in touch with Nene Park Trust, Peterborough City Council’s newly appointed management company in charge of 25 of the sculptures. I realised that unless someone records the specifics of each piece of artwork, it may become unobtainable in the future. Curiosity drew me down a path of exploration, learning, and sharing my knowledge. The rest, as they say, is history.
I hope that the information on this website inspires you to go out and explore Peterborough for yourself, learning about the sculptures, formulating your own thoughts on them and discovering the city rich history.
“Research is to see what everybody else has seen and to think what nobody else has thought.”
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Portrait of the Sculptors
Portrait of sculptors featured in the project.
Sokari Douglas Camp
Sculpture: Festival Boat
Simon Perry
Sculpture: Quarry
Antony Gormley
Sculptures: Place to Be I, II & III
Jeni Cairns
Sculpture: Visions of Nature
Tolleck Winner
Sculpture: People
John Maine
Sculpture: Pyramid
Ben Dearnley
Sculpture: Louis Smith
Bob Dawson
Sculpture: Bird in Flight
Robert Erskine
Sculpture: Power Rhythm
Other Sculpture Collections
The list below are sculptures featured on this website.
Peterborough Sculptures
On the right are sculptures featured on this website. Not all the sculptures mentioned here are on public display. Boundaries by Veronica Ryan was taken, while Emmanuel Jegede’s Endless Omen was vandalised. The sculpture’s stump is the only thing that remains. Opera Dog by Barry Flanagan, State of A Nation by David Cocker, Message of Peace by Tolleck Winner are in storage, waiting to be installed at the appropriate time and location.
Odd Oaks by Nicholas Page has deteriorated over time owing to harsh weather. It is possible that it will not remain in the park for long, as the cost of maintenance may be a decisive factor.
The whereabout of Sea Rider by Glyn Williams and Bush Fern by New Zealand artist Lionel Grant are unknown. I’d like to hear from anyone who has any information about their whereabouts.
If you would like to make a donation to Nene Park Trust for the upkeep and maintenance of the sculptures, please go to this page. Nene Park Trust is a registered charity. As a charity, they rely on donations to fund the fantastic job they undertake, which includes looking after and conserving Peterborough’s greenspaces.
Ferry Meadow
Others
Thorpe Meadow
Location of Sculptures
Information on the location of the sculptures are available on google map. Select the link below to Google Map.
[Thorpe Meadow Sculpture Park] [Ferry Meadow Park] [Power Rhythm] [Lynwood Seat] [Aspire]
“Is sculpture an effective means of communicating and preserving history or events?
In recent decades, there have been numerous incidents in which sculptures have been demolished for political or social reasons. Will sculpture continue to be an effective means of communicating and preserving history or events in the aftermath of recent episodes? A document outlining my analysis and comments on the inquiry is available for free download.