SCULPTURES designed by young artists from Woodroffe School will soon be on display in Lyme’s seafront gardens.
Lyme Regis Town Council is working with A Level art students to enhance the Sculpture Trail in the Langmoor and Lister Gardens.
The trail currently features sculptures from professional artists, but the council was keen to showcase the talents of local young people.
The students have been sharing their designs with town councillors, who were invited to see small-scale models, or maquettes, of the proposed sculptures at the Guildhall.
Each of the students explained the inspiration for their designs and how they linked to the local area, with themes including the waves, dinosaurs, a train, folklore, and marine life.
The students have developed their designs with local sculptor, Ben Russell, also a previous pupil at Woodroffe School, and blacksmith and iron worker Simon Connett.
The sculptures will be made mainly of Portland stone, with some including metal.
Town councillors will have the difficult job of choosing at least three of the designs to be made into full-size sculptures, to be located around the seafront gardens.
Cllr Cheryl Reynolds, vice-chairman of the Tourism, Community and Publicity Committee, who has led on this project for the council, said: “I have been so impressed with the enthusiasm of the teachers and the students and their hard work.
“The maquettes will become sculptures in our beautiful Langmoor and Lister Gardens and it has been such a pleasure to be part of it. Thank you to Ben Russell, an ex-student, now a sculptor for his help and advice.
“To have sculptures made by local students that both local people and our visitors can enjoy is a great achievement that both Cllr Ellis and myself have wanted for a while.”
Richard Vine, head of art and computing at Woodroffe School, said: “There’s a journey involved here, where they are exploring their locality, they’re becoming not just knowledgeable about the history of Lyme Regis, but interested in it and excited by it.
“The way they have played with the geology and geography of the town, they have thought about their audience and considered who is going to enjoy it and they have brought in a youthful lense.
“They have talked to the artists in the process of making these things, they have research Ben and Simon, thought about material, which is exactly what a professional artist would do. They have had a material in mind during the development process, as well as location and audience, and all those things combine to create outcomes.
“Here, the outcomes are sensitive to all of those things and the discussions they have had with the artists who will ultimately bring their ideas to life.
“Seeing them go from this phase into something more monumental is absolutely breathtaking.”
Student Charlotte, who has created a design based on the old steam train Puffing Billy, said she was pleased to be involved as this was development for the future.
She said: “Not many year 12s had the opportunity to do this project, it’s a brand new thing for us, so it’s nice to see opportunities come around the corner that you might not experience, which might bring you to bigger things.
“It’s just lovely to see that you can be recognised if you just put the work in. I would be really proud if my work was chosen.”