What's art all about - Alfie?

Have you seen the Queen’s Jubilee Sculpture on the side of Honiton Leisure Centre?

The sculpture was designed by six-year-old Alfie Gibbins from Fenny Bridges near Honiton.

Last year, East Devon District Council's Chairman, Councillor Peter Halse, asked young people to draw their ideas for a sculpture to celebrate young people for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Hundreds of enthusiastic children and young people who live in East Devon entered the competition in the hope of getting their drawing made into a real-life sculpture and installed in their local park.

All the designs were displayed at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Honiton in June last year and three well-known local artists chose the winning design.

Alfie worked with local artist Gordon Field to turn his drawing into a real life sculpture. They decided to make the sculpture out of mosaic tiles as it suited Alfie's drawing best.

Councillor Peter Halse said: “Children and young people are a vital part of every community and are our future. To celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee, I wanted to run an event that would celebrate their imagination and skills and would help them leave a legacy for years to come.

“The finished sculpture looks fantastic. Gordon and Alfie have worked together really well to ensure it looks exactly like his original design”.