Festival Shortlisted for National Arts & Business Award
Salisbury International Arts Festival and QinetiQ have been shortlisted for a national Arts & Business Award.
In recognition of our successful partnership on The Dragonfly sculpture, now erected at the Solstice Park exit of the A303 at Boscombe Down, Salisbury International Arts Festival and QinetiQ have been shortlisted for the Prudential People Development Award in the national 30th Arts and Business Awards.
This award recognizes business improvement and skills enhancement through culture. In our ongoing partnership with QinetiQ, 12 third-year apprentices at Boscombe Down spent 14 weeks working with artist, Charlotte Moreton, to transform a Gazelle helicopter into a work of art. They stripped out the working of the machine, removed and reversed the tail, formed giant mesh eyes and added wings before spraying the whole sculpture with pearlescent paint.
Speaking about the shortlist announcement for the national award, Jane Thomas from Salisbury International Arts Festival said: “Although we already knew The Dragonfly project was extremely special, it has proven to be the start of an extremely rewarding relationship between our two organizations. It was wonderful to get acknowledgement of this partnership from Arts and Business in the regional finals last year and now to have been shortlisted for the national finals, well…it is the icing on the cake!”
Paul Whitelegg, QinetiQ’s Site Manager, MOD Boscombe Down added: “We are delighted and honoured that ‘The Dragonfly’ has been shortlisted for a national Arts & Business Award. The sculpture is the realisation of the skills, effort and enthusiasm of our apprentices, working with representatives from Salisbury International Arts Festival and SolsticePark. The transformation of an old Gazelle helicopter into ‘The Dragonfly’ has created a new landmark for the area which we are all very proud of."
The innovative and unique sculpture was unveiled at Solstice Park as part of the 2007 Salisbury International Arts Festival and in the same year won three Arts & Business South West Awards.
The winner of the Prudential People Development Award will be announced on Monday 24 November 2008.