27 June, 2012
Visitors to the ‘Collective Spirit’ Lone Twin Boat Project on 5 July are being called on to help create Eastbourne’s very own digital collage, as a special tribute to the maiden voyage visit.
Artist Alicja Rogalska and Towner will be running a waterside workshop from 10am to 5pm at SovereignHarbour, asking visitors to bring along their own treasured object to be photographed and to help shape Eastbourne’s own collage as a tribute to the London 2012 Festival.
Alicja is a visual artist based in London working in sculpture, installation, photography and video. This will be her first collaboration with the people of Eastbourne and the final collage will be on display on the Towner website and in their café from 6 – 12 July.
Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism & Leisure, Cllr Neil Stanley said “We’re hoping to create a fitting tribute to this fantastic piece of sailing artwork – this is a must see from the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and a living archive of stories from across the region. This is our chance to tell Eastbourne’s story so far for 2012.”
Designed by the artists Lone Twin, the 30 foot boat is a result of 1,200 wooden artefacts donated by people across the South East, and even includes pieces from Jimi Hendrix’s guitar, HMS Victory, a Masai warrior club, wood from the new Olympic Velodrome and a woggle worn by the boy scout who released the pigeons at the opening of the 1948 Olympic Games.
The boat arrives on the evening of 3 July and will undergo a ‘make and mend’ day of repairs and maintenance on 4 July, followed by harbourside celebrations on 5 July at the Waterfront, with free boatside tours from 1pm to 4pm.
Visitors will have the chance to see the boat up close, meet the crew and hear tales of the voyage so far. All tours must be booked on the day and sea shanty singing follows from 4pm.
The Boat Project is part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad which runs from 21 June to 9 September. Following its maiden voyage, the boat will be gifted back to the South East as a permanent feature.
Visit the boat at SovereignHarbour on 5 July and book your free tour on the day from the Waterfront from 1pm. For more information go to VisitEastbourne's website or view the final collage at Towner.
