Cycle sculpture takes centre stage at Village Green Festival

July 8, 2019 by Leigh-on-sea.com

Students at South Essex College have worked with artist Nik Ramage to create a moving sculpture, made of recycled bikes, which will be on display in the ForwardMotion area at the Village Green Festival.

The sculpture was created at Metal in Chalkwell Hall, by using the frames, wheels and pedals of recycled bikes. The final design aims to encourage people to think differently about the way they travel around south Essex.

By working on the sculpture together, the workshops were designed to foster a sense of community, inviting participants to think about sustainability and the environmental impact of people’s current travel habits. 

The work was created in conjunction with ForwardMotion, an initiative which aims to reduce the reliance on cars in the region, and promote alternative travel methods, such as cycling, walking and public transport. 

Cllr Ron Woodley, cabinet member for transport, capital and inward investment, said: “It’s great that so many young people lent their creative minds to this project and helped design a sculpture that encourages all of us to think carefully about how we travel on a daily basis.

“The levels of pollution and congestion in south Essex are two of our most important priorities, which is why we created our ForwardMotion campaign to help people think more about how they can use more sustainable methods to get to work, training or education. We hope this sculpture will serve as a useful conversation starter.”

Nik Ramage, whose previous work has been displayed at The Fine Art Society, said: “As artists, we have a responsibility to reflect the concerns of society and spark considered and informed debate. We hope that the interactive sculpture created for Village Green will be fun to use and contribute to the conversations around today’s climate emergency and impact festival-goers to think more about what they can do to improve the world we all live in.”

Velda Pond, who is currently studying for a BA in Fine Art at South Essex College and was involved in creating the sculpture, added: "The experience was engaging, innovative, thought provoking and fun. It has left a lasting impression and I am very happy that I participated and am grateful to have had the opportunity to take part."

The sculpture will be unveiled at the Village Green Festival this weekend.