St Edmunds Head Abbey 1000 Sculpture Exhibition West Suffolk College

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Abbey 1000 Celebrations Continue as New Sculpture of St Edmund is Unveiled


West Suffolk College students have created a large sculpture of the head of St Edmund as part of an ongoing celebration Abbey 1000 celebrations.

New Sculpture Goes On Display in the Abbey Gardens

St Edmunds Head Abbey 1000 Sculpture Exhibition 965x540

A group of students have created a large sculpture of the head of St Edmund as part of the ongoing Abbey 1000 celebrations in Bury St Edmunds.

The learners are elective home educated students from West Suffolk College and they created the giant head sculpture of the iconic Saint using scaffolding, various types of electrical cables and coloured cable ties.

The project was overseen by art and design lecturer from the College and community artist, Maddy Roberts who gained inspiration from the local artist Sybil Andrews as well as work by the artist Giacometti and medieval paintings.

Maddy said: “Our students were commissioned to create a sculpture of St Edmund’s head as part of the Abbey 1000 celebrations. Our students worked collaboratively and as a team to make the finished piece. We would like to thank Melanie Lesser, Diane Hind, Cliff Waterman, Marilyn Sayer, Donna Higgins, David Nettleton, Abbey 1000, Bury St Edmunds and Beyond, Bury Town Council, West Suffolk Council and all of the funders for allowing us to be part of this important project. Our students gained so much from this.”

Zaina Murton, 16 from Methwold is a student who helped make the sculpture. She said: “I really loved doing this – it was good fun. I want to be an artist and help children express themselves through art in the future so this experience has been helpful to me.”

Melanie Lesser is the organiser of the Abbey 1000 sculpture exhibition and of Abbey 1000 C.I.C. She said: “The involvement of the College has been fantastic. The students got really involved in this and learnt about St Edmund and other local artists.”

This project has been funded by locality grants from town councillors Diane Hind, Cliff Waterman, Marilyn Sayer and Donna Higgins and district councillor David Nettleton.

Cllr Diane Hind came along to the unveiling. She said: “I think it (the sculpture) is fabulous. The students are so talented. It’s a pleasure to support young people.”

Cllr Donna Higgins was also in attendance. She said: “I’m really pleased to have the opportunity to start the next thousand years (of celebrations) with talent from this century.”

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