A group of new sculptures is set to be unveiled at a Charnwood beauty spot as part of a project to help budding artists bloom.

Three 6ft tall sculptures, named Sound of Time, will pay homage to Loughborough’s musical and industrial heritage in Queen’s Park thanks to the work of Ian Tricker, a fine art finalist at Loughborough University School of the Arts.

He designed and crafted a tuning fork, a nest of bells and a half-bell and clapper as part of a partnership art project with Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University.

The sculptures, which are part of Loughborough in Bloom, are designed to be in tune with the park’s other new arrival, the Great Paul Bell casing, which was recently installed outside Charnwood Museum.

Ian said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for me, as a student, to get a real feel for delivering a public art commission on a high profile site.

“It is brilliant that Charnwood Borough Council is so supportive of the art and local heritage. It is an honour for me to be asked to visit Taylor's Bell Foundry which inspired sculptures which reflect and complement the Great Paul Bell-Case and the unique industrial heritage of Loughborough."

Andrew Selby, Head of Department for the School of the Arts, said: “Our students are eager to make a positive contribution to the community and this work by Ian Tricker has been designed to make the public think about Loughborough’s history as an industrial and contemporary manufacturing centre, and reflect on the part they play in this heritage.”

Councillor Hilary Fryer, the Council’s Cabinet member for Cleansing and Open Spaces, said: “Queen’s Park has always been a home for natural beauty and Ian’s tremendous work looks right at home.

“Charnwood has a rich cultural and industrial heritage which I think is celebrated beautifully by these sculptures.

“It is also great to know that the Council is supporting emerging artists by giving them such a massive platform upon which to showcase their work.”

One of the sculptures is engraved with bell-themed poems penned by various authors and later in the summer, there will be an explosion of floral colour to complement the sculptures.

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