The Channel 4 Big Art Project in St.Helens

The Northwest horizon is about to change as a spectacular new landmark artwork for St.Helens and the region takes shape next to the M62.  The countdown has begun as Dream, the 20 metres high sculpture by internationally renowned artist Jaume Plensa, is constructed over the coming weeks.

Individually fabricated in 90 unique panels of pre-cast concrete, Dream – which takes the form of a girl’s head with her eyes closed, seemingly in a dream-like state – is being brought in sections to the site on top of the former Sutton Manor Colliery, located close to Junction 7. It will be publicly launched in May, subject to project progress, to coincide with the broadcast of a major new television series on Channel 4, The Big Art Project.

Construction of this new sculpture, chosen by a group of local ex-miners, will start once the first pieces arrive on site during the week beginning 16 March, with Cheetham Hill Construction working closely with engineers ARUP and project managing agency Liverpool Biennial.

Dream has been commissioned by St.Helens Council as part of The Big Art Project, an ambitious public art initiative from Channel 4 supported by Arts Council England, the national development agency for the arts, and The Art Fund, the UK’s leading independent art charity. 

Cllr. Brian Spencer, the Leader of St.Helens Council and who formerly worked down Sutton Manor Colliery said: “It will be an incredible sight to witness the birth of this amazing new artwork, which will put St.Helens on the map and provide a landmark sense of welcome and arrival for the region as a whole for generations to come.   This transformation is particularly poignant given the history of the site itself.  This unprecedented project just goes to show that hopes and dreams really can come true, and in spectacular fashion, when we all work together with a shared vision towards a common goal”

Gary Conley, who is part of the group of former miners from Sutton Manor said: “My ex-colleagues and I have been involved in the process every step of the way through the Big Art Project. It’s fascinating to see how a group of ex-miners now view the world differently, following this amazing art journey. We think it’s wonderful that after nearly three years our hopes and aspirations for the site have resulted in an iconic sculpture reflecting the past heritage of the site as well as its future.”

The work is intended to become a gateway feature for both Merseyside and Greater Manchester at the heart of the Northwest and to symbolise the remarkable regeneration of St.Helens and the region as a whole.

Dream is the artist’s response to the brief and to subsequent conversations with the ex-miners and members of the wider local community who wanted a piece that looked to a brighter future and created a beautiful and contemplative space for generations to come, not least their own grandchildren, at the top of the former spoil heap.

The progress of St.Helens’ Dream is being filmed for The Big Art Project, a new Channel 4 series, which starts on Sunday 10 May. The series seeks to inspire and create new works of public art, commissioned by communities, as well as debating the importance of art in the built environment.

Dream is being delivered by St.Helens Council, in partnership with the national funders.  It is also being funded thanks to contributions from the Northwest Regional Development Agency, the European Regional Development Fund via the Merseyside Objective 1 Programme, Forestry Commission, and the St.Helens Local Enterprise Growth Initiative.  No local tax-payers money has been utilised to pay for the project. A focus group comprising ex-miners from Sutton Manor has played a pivotal role in the whole development of the project which is being curated by Liverpool Biennial.