A new sculpture has been installed at Nottingham Road Cemetery, offering a place to reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Artist Richard Janes was commissioned to design the sculpture that will serve as a place for people to come and reflect on the impacts of the pandemic in their family and community.
Describing the sculpture, Richard said:
The sculpture is a reflective exploration of the shared experience of the Coronavirus Pandemic and lockdown, as well as a quiet space to remember loved ones. The wing design is a modern inspiration reflecting the more traditional Victorian angels found in the Cemetery and the gothic arched gravestones. The birds, bubbles, hands and butterflies were all strong repeating themes in the design sessions, as was the use of colour - as represented in the stained-glass sections.
It was important that the sculpture be a space for reflection and so part of the sculpture forms a seat. The designs of the seat are based on countries, as the pandemic was truly global, and people represented this in their ideas. The central section has a bronze disc which has many smaller relief sculptures which were created during the design sessions.
Young people from the Voices In Action Youth Council, Chaddesden Park Primary School, and St Andrew’s Academy, as well as Friends of Nottingham Road Cemetery, were involved in the design process.
At a workshop, members of the ViA Youth Council made clay models to represent the positives that they saw during the pandemic. These models have now been cast in bronze and included in the sculpture.
The new sculpture will sit alongside other improvements in the cemetery, including tree management and bulb planting. These improvements are funded by the Our City, Our River programme (OCOR), Derby’s flood resilience project, as part of its positive legacy for the city.
Councillor Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability, said:
People might think OCOR is just about flood defences, but it’s much more than that. We’re building a wider legacy for the scheme that delivers real community benefits around the city, not just along the river.
I want to thank everyone who has been involved in shaping the designs. During the pandemic we all pulled together, and the community effort behind this sculpture reflects that attitude.
Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Public Safety, and Leisure, said:
Our cemeteries are special places for the people of Derby. I’m incredibly proud of all the work that has gone into this new sculpture from council officers, the artist, and community groups. With the new sculpture in place, people will now have somewhere they can go to reflect on what was a very challenging time.
OCOR is Derby’s flood alleviation project led by Derby City Council in partnership with the Environment Agency. The project is delivering enhanced flood protection and unlocking the potential for regeneration around the city centre through new flood walls, flood gates and a state-of-the-art pumping station on the Mill Fleam. The next phase is due to begin this year at Derby Riverside.
Beyond infrastructure improvements, OCOR has also carried out an extensive programme of biodiversity enhancements including tree planting and installing bird and bat boxes.