Mayor Ros Jones - daughter of a miner - leads the quest to get a mining statue for Doncaster. She said “We need to celebrate our borough’s history, & the coal industry played an enormous part in that. It is part of our heritage. We should be proud of it, & not forget the blood, sweat, & tears of our miners & the pits they worked in".
International artist Laurence Edwards has been working with local people to shape his design for this iconic mining statue. He said “I want to make something special & unique for the borough that is made from local materials & built on local stories”.
We need your help to raise funds to bring the design to life. A slab of carved rock with a rich seam of bronze heads. A bronze miner to the side mining the stories from the heads. You'll listen to the stories to via digital codes on a smartphone.
What we'll deliver:
- Build the piece of public art
- Develop a digital platform to share the videos of local miners sharing their stories
Why it's a great idea:
• The statue will be an iconic and permanent piece of public art which celebrates Doncaster’s rich mining heritage
• It will be built on the stories of our ex-miners and their communities – their contribution is the driving force behind the project
• The artwork will honour and preserve our mining history and culture for future generations to come
• It also celebrates the communities of Doncaster today, their character and spirit
• This is a collaborative project with our communities at the very heart
• The statue will be centrally located in the heart of Doncaster so easily accessible
• It will be a talking point for residents and visitors alike
• The statue will be located within a quiet space for peace and enjoyment
Steps to get it done:
- Meet more local miners and create wax portraits.
- Source and carve the rock.
- Make the cast of the miner that stands beside the rock.
- Cast the portraits and miner in bronze.
- Transport the sculpture and fix into place.
- Unveil the complete sculpture.
