A GROUP of artists are trying to raise £3,000 to create a trail of wooden sculptures in an ancient Leicestershire woodland.
ArtSpace Loughborough have spent many hours developing plans and submitting funding applications to Arts Council England and Charnwood Borough Council for an Outwoods Sculpture Trail in 2022.
However they have not been successful with these core funding applications.
They have now launched a ‘Justgiving’ crowdfunding page in the hope of raising some funds to offer modest commissions to a number of local artists to produce and install work for the trail and create “a more substantial experience for the people of Charnwood and Leicestershire.”
“This year’s theme, ‘Harmony and Healing for Planet and People’, aims to promote personal and community well-being and increase awareness of environmental sustainability and draw links between the two,” said a spokesman for ArtSpace Loughborough, which is a not-for-profit organisation, led by artists who work in the Charnwood area of Leicestershire.
They comprise painters, printmakers, sculptors, photographers, mixed media, textile and digital artists and have been exhibiting art throughout the East Midlands and further afield since 1997.
“Please help us make these plans become a reality,” added the spokesman.
“Any donation, however small, will be very helpful and appreciated. All funds raised will be used to build a bigger and better Outwoods trail,” added the spokesman.
“The memories made in the woods for families have had lasting benefits, enabling people of all ages to appreciate the natural world and value our natural heritage. We hope to create an inspiring sculpture trail, free and open to all, including willow work installations by Nita Rao and ‘ceramic wildlife’ by Lisa Denham.”
The Outwoods is 110 acres of ancient woodland to the south of Loughborough and is one of the oldest surviving woodland sites in Charnwood.
In 2019, ArtSpace Loughborough created a 1 ¼ mile Sculpture Trail, which was staged in the Outwoods for six weeks, attracting around 20 thousand visitors to the area.
To find out more, or to donate to the cause, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/intotheoutwoodssculpturetrail2022fundraiserpage
