Wood You Believe It?! Giant Sculptures Add To Magic Of Christmas
14 November 2009
Derbyshire-based wood sculptor Andrew Frost
The Christmas Playground is intended to be fun for the whole family and to act as a reminder of Christmas past when only a few simple toys were given but were greatly valued
”Dawn Foote, Managing Director of Katapult .
What have two penguins, a car, a train, a jet engine, a soldier and a bear got in common?
They form a unique collection of giant hand-crafted and sustainable wooden sculptures which will generate a show stopping centrepiece to a magical 'Christmas Playground' in Derby city centre this festive season.
The sculptures are a key focal point of an enchanting playground to be based in the city's Market Place, providing a welcome rest and play area for visitors seeking a break from Christmas shopping.
The Christmas Playground will connect communities, the private and public sectors and local arts organisations through this absorbing attraction in Derby's Cathedral Quarter, the cultural heart of the city.
Children will be encouraged to climb aboard the giant wooden toys, painstakingly and ingeniously handcrafted by Derbyshire-based wood sculptor Andrew Frost, and let their imagination run wild.
Once the festivities are over, the sculptures will be moved to the Royal Derby Hospital where they will have a permanent home, for the recreational enjoyment of the hospital community and visitors.
The £60,000 project (£20,000 grant funding with £5,000 from Arts Council England, and £40,000 charitable funds and private sector) has been created and led by Katapult, the Derby-based marketing agency, in partnership with Bombardier, the Cathedral Quarter Derby, City Centre Management Derby, Derby City Council, Derby County Football Club, Derby LIVE, QUAD, Rolls-Royce plc, Royal Crown Derby, Derby Hospitals, Simon Foote Architects, Toyota and the University of Derby.
Andrew Frost, based at the Crich Tramway Museum, is a wood sculptor who uses his artistic flair and trusted chainsaw to give a new purpose to decayed and felled trees - by making totems, statues, play apparatus and sculptures from local oak and cedar wood.
Visitors have marvelled at his previous creations which include the Green Man at Crich Tramway Museum, the Big Seat at Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire, the Giant Ant at Jacksdale in Nottinghamshire, and the Bishops Tree at Fulham Palace.
And with just a month to go on the Christmas Playground project he has already crafted three of the six wooden sculpture sets on Santa's wish list, including the University penguins!
He said: "It is an exciting challenge and I am delighted to be playing a part in the Christmas Playground. It is also particularly useful to talk about the scale and size of trees being used as it helps to explain the scale of the project.
"Toyota's car sculpture for instance, is from a 200-year-old fallen oak tree in the county which weighed six tonnes when it arrived here - and the finished item itself is being taken from the trunk which weighed a tonne on its own."
The scale of the wooden items means that they will be hoisted into position by crane when the playground is set up during the first week of December.
Dawn Foote, Managing Director of Katapult said: "The Christmas Playground is intended to be fun for the whole family and to act as a reminder of Christmas past when only a few simple toys were given but were greatly valued.
"Andrew Frost's use of wood links with the sense of nostalgia and traditional family values that the works are intended to invoke, which fitted perfectly with the vision of the project.
"The idea is to create an experience which will remind people of these values and which has and which will attract complementary activities like carol singing and areas for spending time with family and friends.
"The project is unique to Derbyshire and will bind its world-class manufacturing and creative industries, which are key to Derby's heritage and make-up."
As well as the sculptures, three schools are currently working with QUAD to help decorate handcrafted objects such as snowmen, crackers and stars for the Christmas Tree. The schools are: St Mary's Catholic School, Little Eaton Primary School and Bishop Lonsdale CE Primary and pupils will then get the opportunity to hang the decorations on the tree on December 10.
Other children are invited to play an active role through workshops at QUAD, making wooden decorations to hang on the Christmas tree in The Market Place which can be booked through the QUAD box office. They will be able to get involved in competitions which are featured in a promotional leaflet to 'Colour the soldier' and 'Name the bear' with prizes including being Rammie's special guest for the day at Derby County FC, a bike, QUAD cinema tickets and a Royal Crown Derby bear.
For more details about the project and activities in the Christmas Playground visit the website: www.christmasplayground.co.uk.
Here's a timeline of key dates for the project:
- December 1 and 2 - Installing of sculptures begins on site
- December 3 - Play matting and Wet Pour installed
- December 4 - Playground Inspector inspects the site
- December 7 - Playground open to the public
- December 8 - VIP/Partners Event at QUAD
- December 10 - Schools hanging decorations on the tree in the Market Place
Katapult
Dawn Foote is the Managing Director of Katapult Ltd, a brand communications agency based in Derby offering services including Brand Development, Advertising, Design, Website Development, Video Production, Motion Graphics and Digital Marketing.
Over the last nine years, Dawn has forged strong client relationships with many local businesses and the agency has won large public and private sector accounts. These include: QUAD, University of Derby, Cycle Derby, Format - The International Photography Festival, Salford University, Learning and Skills Council, Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, Bang & Olufsen, Lincolnshire Tourism and the BBC.
Contact Dawn on 01332 294416 or 07974 245374 or email: dawn@katapult-studios.com.
Alternatively, for media enquires at the University of Derby contact Simon Redfern on 01332 1942 or email: s.redfern@derby.ac.uk.
