Total raised £92,000 of our £110,000 target
Alistair McGowan raises funds and plenty of laughs
The Piano Show at Lowestoft’s Players Theatre
A community project to erect a statue of Benjamin Britten, as a boy, looking out over the sea that inspired him in his birth town of Lowestoft.
Benjamin Britten was born on Kirkley Cliff, Lowestoft. The son of a dentist, he grew-up to become one of the great composers of the 20th century. His childhood by the North Sea influenced his later works which capture the power and beauty of the Suffolk coast. Rather than the adult Britten at the height of his powers, we choose to celebrate him as the Lowestoft boy who went on to achieve great things. We hope this statue will bring joy to all and inspire future generations of Lowestoft children to follow their ambitions.
Watch our fundraising launch, unveiling the model in the garden of Britten’s childhood home. The finished statue will be life-sized.
Supported by.
The Britten Family
Britten Pears Arts
The Countess of Euston, Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
Sir Thomas Allen
Dame Janet Baker
Lord Berkeley
Lord Fellowes
Sir Christopher Howes
Lord and Lady Tollemache
Sir Stephen Hough
Baroness Bull
Peter Aldous, MP
Petroc Trelawny
Martha Kearney
Follow our Progress.
“A statue of Britten as a Boy close to where he was born and grew up would be a fitting tribute to one of the 20th Century’s most prominent musical figures. It would also be an important landmark from which both local people and visitors to Lowestoft can draw inspiration and it would showcase Benjamin Britten’s close bond with the North Sea.”
— Peter Aldous, Member of Parliament for Waveney
The Sculptor.
The committee chose the British sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley.
His effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II has appeared on all UK and Commonwealth coinage since 1998 and his figures surround one of the most important war memorials since WWII, the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
Ian’s works are in the permanent collections of the British Museum, London's National Portrait Gallery, the Ashmolean Museum, Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge, St Paul's Cathedral, the Rijksmuseum, and several others.
“The genius of Britten appeared in childhood. A statue of him as a boy in Lowestoft can inspire generations of children to follow their dreams. Bronze is for eternity, Britten deserves no less.”
— Ian Rank-Broadley
Ian Rank-Broadley working on a statue of Lord Lovat
“Ian Rank-Broadley is without a doubt one of the most distinguished sculptors of the present day.”
— Dr. Donald Buttress LVO D.Litt MA FSA ARIBA Surveyor Emeritus of Westminster Abbey
The Process.
© Ian Rank-Broadley
Maquette.
This initial stage is important for both the client and artist. By means of a series of scale models or maquettes, the appearance of the statue is decided. This tends to be the most time consuming aspect of the project.
© Ian Rank-Broadley
Statue.
Once enough funds have been raised and approval is given by the committee to proceed, the maquette will be scaled up to the required size. It will then be moulded and cast in bronze.
© Ian Rank-Broadley
Installation.
Often overlooked when preparing budgets, the moving of sculpture from the foundry and installing it in situ can be costly as the site needs to be prepared along with any plinth and accompanying plaques or inscriptions and provision for occasional upkeep.
Estimated total cost, up to £110,000
Make a donation.
Add your contribution to this exciting project via our JustGiving page.
Newsletter.
Sign up to receive news of the project’s progress and fundraising events.
