Spread Your Wings 

Peterborough Presents, alongside Orton Makers and artist Rose Croft have produced a project with a lot of local flavour & pride for Peterborough Celebrates Festival in May.  

We asked groups, schools and individuals to help us design and make Ostrich sized birds that represent their sense of pride & show off their creativity.  This flock was installed at Peterborough Celebrates festival which praises and shines a light on what is great about the city.  

Using birds of paradise as a theme, each bird represents an area of the city, including people’s ideas of paradise or messages of hope. This flightless installation is brighter than a flamingo and flashier than a peacock! 

Four artists (find out more about them below) have worked with community groups in some of our areas like Orton, Eye, Millfield and Westwood to create their bird. 

Follow us on social media @peterboroughpresents and let us know if you visited this herd of colourful birds over the Peterborough Celebrates weekend. 

About each community group –

that inspired and designed their bird: 

Eye Youth Club

Every Friday during term time, around 60-80 young people from Eye village become Eye Youth Club. They play pool, board games, spend pocket money on the tuck shop and dance or sing along to a disco just for them.  The group of 9-12 years has an atmosphere that is full of a buzzy energy – energy that comes from the youngsters being able to be together after school.

The Youth Club is managed by Lilian Muxlow and an amazing team of Eye Volunteers, many of whom used to come along to youth club when they were young. Whether it’s standing in the cold keeping an eye on things, serving cola bottles or leading a craft session, without them the night would not happen.

After Covid, it’s more important than ever that young people have safe spaces to socialise and that they get to do that near their home and under the guidance of local Eye residents. The Youth club has been there for generations of Eye. This year it turns 40 years old!

Amanda Rigby led a ‘Spread Your Wings’ workshop on a normal Friday. The group generated lots of creative inspiration for the youth club bird, creating doodles of love, colourful ink blots, passionate patterns and lots of chats. Green was the base colour for the bird, because of Eye Green, and its connections to nature. It is also the colour of the local Primary School. All that vibrancy, hope and electric movement is in the bird but mellowed out by the colour palette. Some of the patterns symbolise how a youth club night feels.

A huge thanks to all those young people who gave their creative time and artist Amanda Rigby. You can find out more about Eye Youth Club on Facebook.

Lapwing Makers group

Lapwing Makers is based at Lapwing Court in Orton. It is a group of residents who meet every Tuesday and create. Together they have created tile designs, made chocolates and tried painting techniques. The group was co- created with Cross Keys Homes and Peterborough Presents. The weekly classes were guided by artist Rose Croft, who painted and designed this bird on their behalf, inspired by the things made, and the chats had at the workshops.

Lapwing Court is not far from Ferry Meadows. The makers talked about how their weekly visits to the café on the platform of the Nene Valley Railway in Orton was a delight for them. They spoke about how a friendly robin would follow people to the shops. Many of the makers stories are featured in the design, as well as quotes to live by and the colours of the space where they meet- teal and purple.
One maker also wanted us to feature a 1940’s aircraft as a way of paying homage to their father who was part of the Battle of Britain.

Lapwing Makers really enjoy a cuppa, especially the weekly coffee afternoons supervised by Cross Keys Homes employee and receptionist Marie Waghorn. They could not praise Marie enough, because she always has a smile for every resident and makes a big effort to help wherever she can.

Lapwing Makers are very inspiring and even in their eighties and nineties they have an enthusiasm for life and for trying new things. It is very exciting to be around.
They hope that everyone who sees this bird is encouraged to notice the magic in the everyday and to remain active.

A huge thanks to all the Lapwing Makers, Cross Keys Homes, artist Rose Croft and Marie Waghorn.

Orton Makers 

Orton Makers is a group based in Orton Goldhay, that meet, drink a brew and make things together. They make things that are either useful or beautiful and have tried everything from wood carving to calligraphy. Often their creations become gifts or much-loved items for their homes. You don’t have to be arty to be a maker – just up for a laugh and trying new things.

Orton Makers also get to decide what they want to try next. No two weeks are the same unless they want it that way.

Orton Makers are the inspiration behind ‘Spread Your Wings’ project. The group decided on the focus, title of the project and the outcomes. They wanted people from across Peterborough to feel proud of their areas, to experience sculptures that were vibrant and made you want your photo with them.

Orton Makers has been working with artist Rose Croft for months. Together they enjoyed co-designing and making their bird with Rose too. You will see that a lot of what the makers have done is featured in the bird. They chose Yellow as a base because for them it means brightness and friendship, which is what the group feels to them.

The group meets every Tuesday in the term times and is always open to more makers coming along. It’s free to attend. To find out more, check out@peterboroughpresents on all socials. All Peterborians are welcome.

A huge thanks to all the Orton Makers, their families and Lou Roe at FamilyVoice Peterborough.

 Orton Young People

This bird is dedicated to, and inspired by, young people who live in Orton. Around 100 young people submitted designs for the bird using patterns, words, colours and symbols to express their joy, hope and loves.

Orton Makers helped Rose to design the bird, by choosing some of their favourite designs by the young people. They also spoke to Rose about what it felt like for them being young in Orton or being parents to young people. Some of these motifs have been included in the design too. This is why the famous No1 bus route features – it’s essential to young people as they get older. Plus, it cuts right through all the Ortons.

The group wanted a bird that was full of good energy and represented young people in a positive way and celebrate the good they do – to combat some of the negative press that a small minority might get. For example, two young people raised money for Nene Valley Railway after their signal box was vandalised. These are the stories they wanted to praise.

You can see many of the individual designs created by the young people on display inside the Peterborough Presents dome.

A huge thanks to all the young people who shared their designs with us including the pupils from Orton Wistow Primary School.

Millfield Carnival

Carnival is the name and colour is the game. A group of residents from in and around Millfield will be making a special carnival performance for Millfield Festival 2023. The idea came from memories of the Gladstone Carnival which happened in the 1980s in the area. People loved it when they were younger, and they want to relive that celebration with lots of bright colour and costumes.

The festival and carnival are about showing off the different cultures that live within Millfield in a way that is unifying and of course to have fun! Being part of the carnival involves dressing up in bright costumes, moving to music and encouraging people to let loose and laugh. Last year there was a carnival parade along Lincoln Road, and the community participants were met with lots of excitement and love from passers-by, buses and festival goers. Due to popular demand, its coming back this year with the theme jungle!

The Millfield Carnival bird embodies some of the designs featured in the costumes and has some golds and metallics that make them flashy and vibrant. It also has a lot of movement in it too. It could be a carnival costume or mascot and we feel it reflects all the different ages, backgrounds and abilities that the carnival group are.

A huge thanks to all carnival participants, Millfield Community Association, artist Amanda Rigby, everyone involved in helping create Millfield Festival each year. Millfield Festival takes place 12 – 6pm on 5th August 2023 at New England Recon Lincoln Road.

Jailbirds & HMP Peterborough

Jailbirds is a workshop at HMP Peterborough where female prisoners learn tomake craft items, many of which are sold to raise money for charity. Becoming involved in craft projects has a positive impact on their mental health, as well as providing them with creative skills that they can use post-release, sharing themwith their families or even as a stepping stone to a new career.

Jailbirds and HMP Peterborough have a long history of collaborating in community and arts events in Peterborough, from exhibitions in the Cathedral to local festivals.
This bird was designed by ten female prisoners who were delighted to be able to take part in a positive project for the local community, looking ahead to a positive, hopeful future regardless of their current circumstances.

A huge thanks to HMP Peterborough and the women in the Jailbirds workshop for bringing this bird to life and supporting the Spread Your Wings project. 

Hampton / Korp Academy

This bird has been painted by street-artist Korp who is based at Studio 4 in Hampton’s Serpentine Green. Korp fest is held at his studio where up to 30 artists come together to paint and create, bringing in new talent and audiences. Korp is a collaborator, platform maker but always holds on to their own style.

Korp co-designed this bright bird with members of his Korp Academy – a programme of weekly and monthly workshops that are suitable for all ages and talents. Workshops take place both online and in person. ‘Academy members’ learn how to draw characters and master the use of materials.

The Hampton / Korp Academy bird uses a red, white and black colour scheme because of one member’s love of those colours. This member was about to have a major operation, so it felt right to choose their favourite colours. The design uses stencils, doodles and motifs from the group. Korp brought these together to represent the academy. Even the scales of the Serpentine snake make an appearance, paying slight homage to his studio.

To find out more about the academy or check out Korp’s other works & Korpfest, go to
www.korporate.co.uk.

A huge thanks to members of Korp Academy and artist Korp.

City Wide Bird and Competition Winner  

Back in March, Peterborough Presents set a city-wide competition. We asked any Peterborough resident to send in their designs, one of which would be recreated onto a bird.

We received some great entries from all parts of the city. The designs were all full of passion and colour. There were even tributes to loved ones. It’s said a lot but, the decision to choose just one design was quite hard.

It was Jovile Karitone’s concept that was the perfect example of what Spread Your Wings set out to achieve and what it symbolizes. It shows Jovile’s hometown in Lithuania and how they miss, love and embody their place of birth and heritage. It also shows how they have made Peterborough home for the last five years, and the UK for the last ten. Jovile’s story is similar to that of so many Peterborians who have come from inside and outside the UK and have made the city their home – for them and their families. They describe their love for the city whilst also holding onto the home cities and homelands that created them. It proves once again how welcoming Peterborough can be and that even seagulls can make you sentimental.

Jovile’s original design was lovingly recreated by artist Jason Duckmanton. Jason worked extra hard to ensure that it was true to Jovile’s winning vision. Jovile even joined Jason to paint some of it as well. A lot of the images are of the docklands, houses and sea front of Klaipėda, Lithuania. The use of the colours also relate back to Britain and tie it all together.

You can see many of the other beautiful designs created through the city competition on display inside the Peterborough Presents dome.

A huge thanks to Jovile Kartione and to Jason Duckmanton for bringing the bird to life so beautifully and to everyone who entered the competition. 

About the artists

These are the artists that are co-creating this flock of pride.

Rose Croft is an Artist, Storyteller and Creative Practitioner based in Spalding and Peterborough.  

Rose works to engage people with art, story and nature in ways that forge life long connections.   

Through her creative work Rose aims to capture and share the simple joy within us brought out by the world we live in by using colour and focusing on the process of making and doing. 

www.rose-croft.co.uk 

Amanda Rigby is an artist, designer and creative illustrator. She is passionate about social change and co-founded Paper Rhino, a workers’ co-op, so that she, and other creatives, could use their skills to promote ethical ways of working. 

Amanda studied Visual Arts at University and went straight into Editorial design. As an Art Editor she developed a flexible, resilient approach to design and a love of collaboration and skill sharing. 

In her own practice she is currently exploring themes of the body, particularly moments of sensation, blood rushing as a response to touch and how the imagination is a hidden story running constantly throughout our interactions. She is fascinated by the difference between our calm, polished exterior and the turmoil of our deepest inner thoughts. 

 https://amandarigby.co.uk/ 

Jason Duckmanton is a freelance artist and a director of the co-operative design agency, Paper Rhino.

He received formal training in art and design from Lincoln University, where he honed his skills in painting, drawing, and graphic design. Jason has exhibited his artwork extensively around the world, from small galleries to major art exhibitions.

His artwork is known for its macabre themes mixed with melancholic, surrealist imagery, which he expresses through both digital and traditional painting techniques. 

 https://jasonduckmanton.com/ 

Korp is an artist, illustrator, teacher and project manager based at the Undercroft in Peterborough. Most of his work is completed using marker pens, spray paints and stencils and usually features an army of mutated worms.

Korp is also the founder of the Korp Academy where he teaches step by step lessons showing people how easy it is to draw. 

 https://linktr.ee/findkorp