Scarlet poppy cascades have been installed on Grantham’s Guildhall Arts Centre for the town’s Remembrance commemorations.
Grantham Arts was commissioned by South Kesteven District Council to run workshops and engage art and design students from Grantham College to create military silhouettes.
Creative workshops attracted more than 100 volunteers to make 2,000 poppies and attach them to military camouflage netting for the cascades, including a session with St Anne’s Cubs and Scouts.
Students researched iconic figures from wartime history, resulting in four decorated silhouettes of a WW2 paratrooper, a WW1 Tommy soldier, a Naval Wren and a Land Girl standing by the poppies. At night they are being highlighted for maximum effect using red-uplighters.
The installation work drew enthusiastic responses from passers-by, and the helping hand of a ladder from Shaun Turner of Kesteven Decorating Services.
Student Rebekah Tambling, who helped to design and decorate the WW1 soldier figure, said: “It’s been a great project to work on, particularly as I am from a military family. It means a lot to me.”
Anne Marie Kerr of Grantham Arts said: “Civic pride is really important to a town, and when you engage the local community in projects like this people really do start to feel that pride. We were delighted to work with the Council to produce this installation.”
The installation will remain in place throughout Remembrance Week.
Image courtesy of South Kesteven District Council shows Dawn Wesselby and Anne-Marie Kerr from Grantham Arts with Rebekah Tambling.
