Designing a Steel Statue for Consett

On Tuesday 28^th January, we hosted a fundraiser and design session to generate some ideas about what the community want the statue to look like. We were very lucky to have renowned artist Ray Lonsdale with us, who gave a fabulous and engaging talk about his artistic journey and past designs,. He also answered all of our questions about his statues and how we should go about creating our own for Consett.  As part of the event, we asked everyone to share their ideas.  Please take a look!

This blog includes everyone’s ideas for the design, location and other fundraisers for the statue. We want this project to be a community affair where we have consulted with as many people as possible to get their ideas. We will then put these to Ray, who will use his expertise in this area to create the very best statue for Consett.

Ideas for the design of the statue…

• A steelworker telling his granddaughter about the past.
• A young man walking away from the closure of the steelworks and walking towards his wife and baby, dejected and sad with no job and a fear for his family’s future.
• An old man and a child on a bench.
• Something encompassing both the past and the future.
• Something that brings the sadness of the closure, full circle with the promise of a future.
• A bench with an outline of Consett steelworks.
• Something conveying the heat, dirt and exhaustion of workers (men and women of steel).
• Workers with no health and safety gear.
• A bench with a figure.
• Someone holding something in each hand (family, steel tool, etc).
• A steelworker and a lady standing behind with her hand on his shoulder, wiping off the red dust on his shoulder.
• Something incorporating greenery- a new plant growing from somewhere.
• A blast furnace tap hole being tapped with iron flowing out.
• Casting steel into the letter C.
• A reference to the skylight- the cooling towers, even if it is only on the plinth.
• Men and women of the steelworks.
• The red dust.
• Smelting pots and people being scarred from the steel.
• The closing of the steelworks.
• The last train in the snow.
• A ladle of steel with a steelworker showing the last tap with a child of today looking on.

Ideas for the location of the statue…

• The grassland on Albert Road opposite Aldi.
• Somewhere with easy access from a bus station and cycle track.
• Consett & Blackhill Park- car parking in place and utilise the Lodge.
• Tesco- carparking in place, café and other heritage nearby.
• Puddlers corner.
• Somewhere looking over the old steelworks site.
• Tesco roundabout.
• Middle Street.
• Morrisons roundabout.
• Top of Blackhill Park by Blue Heaps.
• Genesis Way area/higher site to overlook the former steelworks site to contrast the past and present.
• Somewhere accessible and with parking nearby.
• Corner of Albert Road, Front Street.

Suggestions for future Fundraisers:

• A talk about Ray Lonsdale’s other works.
• Coffee, tea and food at Snods Edge.
• Table top sales.
• Game card (spot the bull/pick a team).
• Ask Project Genesis for a contribution.
• Sponsored walk around Consett, Blackhill Park or the Derwent Walk.
• Family fun day at the community garden.
• Open mic competition at Consett Heart.
• Sports day.
• Karaoke night.
• Empire Theatre concert- tribute act.
• Sponsored Consett half marathon.
• Car washing.
• Sausage and cider sizzler.
• Quiz night.
• Race night.

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who came and supported and donated! We are pleased to share that this event raised £170.90! Please look out for future events, and come and support us where you can!

If anyone has any other ideas, please share them with us!