£1m pledge towards Star of Caledonia statue on England-Scotland border
Last updated at 14:07, Saturday, 29 September 2012
An arts organisation has pledged £1 million towards creating a massive sculpture on the England-Scotland border.
A worldwide fundraising campaign is continuing to find financial backers for the Star of Caledonia vision.
Costs of creating it has been estimated at £4.2m.
The campaign to realise that total was boosted this week when Creative Scotland announced it would stump up nearly a quarter of that total.
Cash for the border landmark, which would be 40m high, was announced among a £15m package for projects in Scotland.
They also included £687,500 to help restore Moat Brae in Dumfries, the house said to have inspired author JM Barrie when writing Peter Pan.
Supporters of the Star of Caledonia – designed by world-renowned artist Cecil Balmond, who is working with landscape artist Charles Jencks – say they are delighted with the funding boost, which they are confident will have a tourism spin-off for north Cumbria.
Efforts remain focussed on securing the rest of the money needed and planning permission to carry out the work.
Dr Jan Hogarth, the Dumfriesshire-based artist who is the project’s director, said of the grant: “It will hopefully act as a catalyst for other funding.”
Creative Scotland chief executive Andrew Dixon welcomed this week’s investment news.
He said: “Great cultural facilities in every part of Scotland allow many more people to experience, enjoy and learn about a range of creative work.”
The Star of Caledonia will be made of galvanised stainless steel and be sited in a field on the border.
Supporters of the scheme, an economic-boosting ambition raised in the aftermath of the 2001 foot and mouth crisis that devastated the area, were inspired to pursue it by the success of the Angel of the North in Gateshead.
They hope to have the star, a development which has already attracted worldwide attention, completed during 2014.
The landmark trust is chaired by businessman Alasdair Houston, whose family-run firm owns Smiths Hotel and the World Famous Blacksmith’s Shop complex at Gretna Green.
First published at 11:52, Saturday, 29 September 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
All that money to be wasted on something no one wants and that, lets face it, doesn't look very good anyway. Why not spend the money helping artists who are creating *real* art in the area, money always goes to these pretentious schemes.
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The Walled City of Carlisle had such Toll Booths to make money in form of a tax on goods etc. They were English Gate, Irish gate and Scotch Gate. The Border heritage (England, Scotland and Wales) needs a signage a little better than just plain street sign saying England, whilst Scotland, Welcomes You... Is the One million Scottish pounds coming out of banking? Chris, Why just a quid? Why not a Scottish fiver at least to get into our dear neighbour Scotland please.
Posted by Royl on 3 October 2012 at 10:58