On Tuesday 21 September ‘The White Horse’ sculpture, produced by the award winning partnership between Salisbury International Arts Festival, QinetiQ and Solstice Park was officially unveiled by Phil Harding of Channel 4’s Time Team programme.

Salisbury International Arts Festival commissioned local artist, Charlotte Moreton, to create the horse sculpture with the 3rd year QinetiQ apprentices from MOD Boscombe Down using the theme of the region’s White Horses and responding to the Horse theme in this year’s International Arts Festival.

Festival Director Maria Bota said “We love this project for many reasons: the partners we work with, QinetiQ and Solstice Park; our inspired artist Charlotte Moreton; and most importantly, the energy, enthusiasm and expertise of themarvellousapprentices at Boscombe Down. 

Every year we provide the apprentices at QinetiQ with a blank sheet and every year we marvel at what has been produced. People tell us that the Festival stays in their hearts and minds afterwards; here is a tangible and beautiful piece of public art that our audiences can visit again and again at any time of the year.

We are really excited to have been nominated for a third consecutive year for the National Arts & Business Award for Prudentail A&B People Development Award and I would like to encourage you to vote for this fantastic project atwww.artsandbusiness.org.uk”

This installation is the partnership’s fourth sculpture and was first revealed to audiences on the opening night of the Festival 2010 at Salisbury Market Square.  The simplicity of the life sized sculpture of a thoroughbred mare is based on the Uffington White Horse which is formed from stylised curving lines rather than a solid and more or less naturalistic figure. These lines have been suggested by floating plates on the sculpture.

Using bent steel tubing and powder coated steel plates and following the project development procedures used by QinetiQ engineers, Charlotte and the apprentices designed, tested and built the sculpture; along the way they learned skills that will inform their future careers as aircraft and aeronautical engineers. In addition a number of local businesses gave their time, and expertise.

The White Horse sculpture can be seen at its new home at Solstice Park from the end of November, when work on the surrounding site is completed.

ENDS

For further information please contact

Rosa Corbishley at Salisbury International Arts Festival

01722 33 22 41  

rosa@salisburyfestival.co.uk

www.salisburyfestival.co.uk