'Carry Each Other, Iompair a Chéile' - Belfast
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BELFAST, Forth Meadows Community Greenway Public Sculpture, 2023
5 Greenway Stages, 12 Km long, each section has a relevant bespoke sculpture embedded into the pathway
by sculptor Sara Cunningham-Bell
Glencairn, Springfield, Falls Park, Bog Meadows, City Centre,
and at Springfield Road with the iconic 7.8 metre sculpture
'Carry Each Other', is sculpted by Sara at her studio 'Gorse Lane Studio', and the fabrication yard.
The sculpture’s greater sustainable design created from recycled and recyclable materials, applies a cradle to cradle approach. Its concept is delivered through participatory research with public engagement alongside incredible, generous local groups:
Bog Meadows Ulster Wildlife, Sure Start Early Years, Clan Mór,
FMCG Walkers Glencairn and Falls, St. Peter’s Cathedral, St. Matthews Parish,
Harmony Primary; Forth River Primary; Mercy Primary;
Springfield Primary; St. Clare’s Primary; St. Kevin’s Primary; St. Paul’s Primary,
Bunscoil An tSleibhe Dhuibh
The Sculpture Commission: The Forth Meadow Community Greenway project is being delivered by Belfast City Council, with funding provided by the EU’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), the Department for Communities and the Department for Infrastructure. The Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland have provided support for the PEACE IV element of the project.
5 Greenway Stages, 12 Km long, each section has a relevant bespoke sculpture embedded into the pathway
by sculptor Sara Cunningham-Bell
Glencairn, Springfield, Falls Park, Bog Meadows, City Centre,
and at Springfield Road with the iconic 7.8 metre sculpture
'Carry Each Other', is sculpted by Sara at her studio 'Gorse Lane Studio', and the fabrication yard.
The sculpture’s greater sustainable design created from recycled and recyclable materials, applies a cradle to cradle approach. Its concept is delivered through participatory research with public engagement alongside incredible, generous local groups:
Bog Meadows Ulster Wildlife, Sure Start Early Years, Clan Mór,
FMCG Walkers Glencairn and Falls, St. Peter’s Cathedral, St. Matthews Parish,
Harmony Primary; Forth River Primary; Mercy Primary;
Springfield Primary; St. Clare’s Primary; St. Kevin’s Primary; St. Paul’s Primary,
Bunscoil An tSleibhe Dhuibh
The Sculpture Commission: The Forth Meadow Community Greenway project is being delivered by Belfast City Council, with funding provided by the EU’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), the Department for Communities and the Department for Infrastructure. The Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland have provided support for the PEACE IV element of the project.
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'THE BRIDGE' - Dublin
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The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alison Gilliland unveiled ‘THE BRIDGE: Fiacha Dhubha Fhionglaise ar Foluain, Finglas Ravens Soar’, November 2021
A Dublin City Council commission supported by the Hugh Lane Gallery and Visual Artists Ireland; public sculpture for Dublin's Kildonan Park by Sara Cunningham-Bell created in collaboration with local people in Finglas. The seven-metre-tall sculpture comprises two figures with arms raised up, holding high a mirrored steel ‘river rug’ that is threaded through with symbols and signs of Finglas life. Inspired by the Irish translation ‘Fionnghlas’ (clear streamlet), the sculpture draws from the depths of local history, while also reflecting present-day Finglas. The central form and choice of materials are informed by feedback from the first phase of public consultation, namely; to acknowledge women’s contribution to community and city life; to create a positive landmark for the neighbourhood – large in scale and made of durable materials; and to create a feeling of ownership and pride in an artwork that celebrates local culture and contributes to a sense of shared identity. 
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'More is Different'
Sculpture series, supported by
Arts Council Northern Ireland, award 2020
The series selected for 2021 exhibitions:
'Sculpture in Context' show, National Botanic Gardens, Dublin
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast,
Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart
Arts Council Northern Ireland, award 2020
The series selected for 2021 exhibitions:
'Sculpture in Context' show, National Botanic Gardens, Dublin
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast,
Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart
More is Different –
explores one form in relation to another:
“Form both captures and releases simultaneously, revealing as it veils.
I am here, they inform us. The verb every someone and something manifests, being in-act, existing, shimmering before eyes that deign to look.
Tread carefully, and with attention, that natural prayer of the soul, which forbids because it renders possible all exploitation, the only fruit of ignorance. For there, in that trough of the disappeared, all goes unnoticed, torn asunder, and carried off.
We are here, is uttered. More is different. The rhythms of form conspire to union, bring together what was thought, mistakenly, to be both dumb and blind. The very slightest stands out communing with that from which it is formed, both inside and out. Summoned by that which is before and after, and thereby calling form to ecstatically be beside itself, with neighbour, sister, brother, soil, and matter, which some take to be mere.
More is different, and the slightest is monumental. The very song of existence.” (Conor Cunningham, July 2021)
The Dungiven Hare
Commissioned by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, funded by the Special European Union Peace Body, as part of the PEACE IV programme.
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THE DUNGIVEN HARE sculpted by Sara Cunningham-Bell, titled ‘New Dawn, Renewal, Abundance’ was commissioned for the town of Dungiven by The Special European Union Peace Body, as part of the PEACE IV programme.
This is the Peace programme initially created in 1995 as a direct result of the EUs desire to make a positive response and support to The Ceasefire of 1994. Public engagement was with The Dungiven Regeneration Group through zoom Art workshops. This is a group of warm hearted, visionary people, and their designs are etched now onto a 2.5 metre tall, polished stainless steel River Element. This River Element represents the three rivers flowing around and through the town (Owenreagh, Owenbeg, Roe). It reflects the passer-by and the sculpted Dungiven Hare. SO Why a HARE? – it is one of our oldest mammals in Ireland, it was here 12,000 years ago during the ice age. It like the population of Dungiven, has adapted and supported its families to survive and grow in this changing rural, busy area. The following video shows some of the work which went into the making at Gorse Lane Studio, north coast of Ireland. |
Towards Tomorrow
50th Anniversary Sculpture - Ulster University, Coleraine
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"The Towards tomorrow sculpture project has been a true multi-generational, community endeavour. We are delighted that this iconic landmark will be visible for all to see and enjoy for years to come."
- Prof. Paddy Nixon, Ulster University, Vice-Chancellor and President |
Towards Tomorrow
‘Towards Tomorrow’, the first calcined clay concrete public sculpture, was sculpted by visual artist Sara Cunningham-Bell from her north coast studio, under consultation and in-depth engagement with the local community and Ulster University. The sculpture, at a height of 9m – with its diameter a ninth of its height – was erected in June 2019, to celebrate the university’s unique and continued contribution to the local area on its 50th anniversary. Prof. Paddy Nixon and Provost, Prof. Karise Hutchinson were firmly behind the vision of this project’s journey. The Provost commented on completion of the project, “I am confident in the months and years ahead that ‘Towards Tomorrow’ will continue to be enjoyed by and enrich our local community, and am delighted that, in the spirit of partnership, we have produced such a strong symbol of the university’s legacy in this area.” The medium A calcined clay concrete was chosen for its sustainability, strength, durability, and colour – all important qualities for the sculpture site – a busy, urban commuting roundabout, The Lodge Road Roundabout, Coleraine. The medium employs ingredients from the North Antrim Hills, including lithomarge, which contains the mineral kaolin. When calcined, this becomes a reactive pozzolan that replaces a portion of the cement, forming a denser concrete, reducing ingress of ions, supporting the passivation of steel and hardening to a sustainable and durable product suitable for the sculpture. Part of the CEMI used for the sculpture is replaced by the calcined clay – a researched ingredient, which is now included in British Standard BS 8500. Andrew McIntosh, based in Northern Ireland, had been working on this material for many years before it received its inclusion in BS 8500. The artist commented on the choice of the medium; “Sustainability, the unique physical qualities already mentioned – it was a local research and development effort and it provided an amazing natural colour, without the use of a dye or requirement for a surface finish. Visually it brings a brightness to the site – a roundabout which welcomes visitors to the north coast of Ireland – with a dignity which I think is encouraged by the material’s natural warm tone, as well as the finished sculpted form.” The full sculpture figure was sculpted by welding in the studio a 9m bone-like frame from 12, 16 and 20mm rebar and then sculpting its detail with figurative curves from clay. It took 145, 12kg bags of clay to complete. Then, the sculpted detail such as a hurling stick, daffodil, rugby ball, saxophone, single skull oars etc. and their undercuts, were silicon bagged. This flexible mould was heavily supported by fibre-glass and bolted timber in three parts. These three moulds were designed to be poured upside down to enable a gap of 100mm in each part for bolting together at erection time. The tolerance level of bolt-to-bolt hole was less than 5mm. The pour was a self-compacting calcined clay concrete mix which included a plasticiser, enabling flow into the mould detail, which overcame an initial viscosity issue. During the erection of the sculpture, the full-scale internal rebar structure enabled a fixing point to the prepared foundation via 12 no. 20mm bolts. This welded steel structure initially had to be taken out of the clay sculpted form and was power washed, galvanised, and then placed inside each of the three mould parts for the self-compacting concrete pour. Concept The sculpture’s name is taken from a quotation in The Coleraine Chronicle of November 2, 1968, when Ulster University’s Coleraine campus first opened its doors. The relief text band around the plinth comes from an oration at the public opening service: ‘to teach and research for the next generation to pass on knowledge and more’, along with the quote, ‘Land of Saints and Scholars’, which originated from a speech by the vice-chancellor at the university’s first graduation ceremony. The wrap around, concrete poured pathway has no beginning or end – and acknowledges the nearby town names of Ballymoney and Limavady which are laser-cut into stainless steel. The sculpture depicts a figure wearing a graduate’s gown – the student is both male and female. It soars up high, reaching out with inquisitive reasoning to seek knowledge. The student has lifted from the ground a fieldtrip quadrant, and is looking upwards through it, applying lateral, blue-sky thinking (de Bono) to research and knowledge. The quadrant is also representative of a mortar board being tipped to the town – so the top of the sculpture echoes its foundation. The plinth is circular, representing ‘one strong, united community’, and on closer inspection, it incorporates bas-relief tiles inset at eye-level, created by pupils from secondary level schools within the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough, as well as several members from the local U3A group, resulting in a community-wide artwork that spans generations. A sixth-year pupil, Laura, wrote after her week in the studio working on the sculpture: “The experience in itself was fantastic – seeing how the skills we learn in school can actually be applied in real life, towards a career.” There are three step heights within the first sculpted section, symbolic of the productive and progressive triangular relationship between the university, the community and business. They support sculpted objects from academia, research, music and sporting achievement, underscoring how the university is intrinsic to the borough and the important connection between ‘town and gown’, eg. the rugby ball, hurling stick, salmon etc. Much like the growing oak seedling embedded as a relief in the plinth, ‘Towards Tomorrow’ emboldens us to extend ourselves, grasp opportunities and ascend to new heights in each of our specialised areas. Towards Tomorrow sculpture: Commissioner: Ulster University, Coleraine In collaboration with: The Garfield Weston Trust, The Honourable The Irish Society, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and local Businesses. Sculptor: Sara Cunningham-Bell Size: 9m high, widest diameter 1.2m Medium: Calcined clay concrete Process: Sculpted to full-scale, silicon bagged, then poured with self-compacting calcined clay concrete with plasticiser for flow Weight: 14.5 tonnes Site: The Lodge Road Roundabout, Coleraine, Northern Ireland Videographer and music: Jacob Cunningham-Bell The Provost commented on completion of the project, “I am confident in the months and years ahead that ‘Towards Tomorrow’ will continue to be enjoyed by and enrich our local community, and am delighted that, in the spirit of partnership, we have produced such a strong symbol of the university’s legacy in this area.” The Provost commented on completion of the project, “I am confident in the months and years ahead that ‘Towards Tomorrow’ will continue to be enjoyed by and enrich our local community, and am delighted that, in the spirit of partnership, we have produced such a strong symbol of the university’s legacy in this area.” |
'Teamship' Kingspan Stadium
Home to Ulster Rugby, (IRFU and DECAL)
'TEAMSHIP' - Home to Ulster Rugby, (IRFU and DECAL)
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TEAMSHIP
has a long lifespan expectation, made from durable material. Commissioner: Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and Department of Culture of Art and Leisure (DCAL) Commission period: three months Description of commission including site location of final piece: This was a public sculpture commission for an area which is viewable from Mount Merrion Avenue Belfast, and in the grounds of the Kingspan, Ravenhill Rugby Stadium. It was requested for the design to be: an educational tool to all generations, personally interactive, promote the game of rugby and the stadium as Rugby Ulster’s home, whilst meeting health and safety requirements within the public realm. Budget - was tight for the size of site and the requested aims for the project, yet made manageable due to the materials and style chosen. Site Character - is long and narrow (100 x 6 metres), on a steep slope as a recycled, soft land mass. This necessitated laying special foundation designs to firmly secure the 6 metre high by 90 metre long sculpture form, and a particular awareness at installation for the safety of all employees arriving onto the sloped and busy site. Media - steel: powder coated over galvanised surface, stainless, high strength low alloy steel were chosen for their high durability and long life span, as a senior Ulster rugby staff said: “the sculpture will be here longer than the stadium”. The steel is a reflection on East Belfast’s steel industry as it looks down over this area of Belfast. It also provides a maintenance level of Zero to low, e.g. the design detail of the powder coated (to Stadium RAV colour) information line is raised by 50mm for ease of maintenance, and enables the budget restraint to be met alongside the design brief. Access - People have access to the installation at all times and are able to walk safely amongst the sculpture figures of varying heights and read the information red line, or /and search for the hidden mini rugby balls incorporated within the steel installation. Two kerbs are lowered to provide access to the non-ambulant person. Light – The sculpture is designed to create negative and positive shapes by being cast over the site with the strength and movement of the sun and tungsten light. It is symbolic of the coaching approach for the mini rugby player “Run at the space not the face”. The countersunk swivel lighting throws shadows out at night time, and being strategically placed, it increases safety whilst fans (18,000 at a home game) move across and through the sculpture installation. It is appropriately lit as a 24 hour, accessible public sculpture walk. |
“The new sculpture is absolutely magnificent and incorporates all the values that Ulster Rugby holds dear - namely exclusivity, teamwork and sporting excellence. I would like to thank Sara for her vision and her remarkable ability in creating such a wonderful piece of art.”
- John Kinnear, President of the IRFU (Ulster Branch) |
Figurative, Bronze & Steel
Coleraine - Donegal - Dublin - Glasgow - London - New York
Birds in Bronze
Sculpture Seats
Coleraine - Donegal - Dublin - Glasgow - London - Portaferry - New York
Direction, Steel & Bronze
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Bespoke, one off horse and swan on polished stainless steel with hard wood base/plinth, 800mm high; suitable for hall, conference table, reception room. |
Global Reach
Iconic Roof Sculpture - Camlin Technologies, HQ. Lisburn
Two Souls Talk
CIGA Healthcare, Ballymena; Sculpture Fountain
The Gift of Tomorrow, within Yesterday and Today.
Camlin Technologies Ltd, HQ, Lisburn
'TOMORROW'S HOPE TODAY'
Gemini Homes - on the site of The Honourable the Irish Society Primary School, built mid C19th
Gemini Homes - on the site of The Honourable the Irish Society Primary School, built mid C19th
George
Cornfield Project, with Kew Gardens London, Grow Wild, Bell Architects, the Community, Coleraine
Project Manager, Cornfield Project
"We love our 'George' sculpture which adds another engaging dimension to our site while blending perfectly with what we are about. As well as being a fascinating focal point that attracts people visiting the site, we love how it is a 'live' piece where children and families can add sticks, branches and leaves, making it an interactive and constantly evolving installation".
'To Lead a Leader'
Anniversary Sculpture - Victoria College Belfast
Anniversary Sculpture - Victoria College Belfast
'Anchored Potential'
Kinetic, bespoke sculpture
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Encourager
An installation representing a community's ability to make their positive mark on our landscape - socially and economically. Most households have yellow rubber gloves under the kitchen sink used for daily tasks, these gloves were donated by the different community groups of the town (church, school, community club) and are applied here upon the seascape of Castlerock visually indicating each person's possible impact upon the other, and society.
