Following an open call, Olivia Olsson has been appointed as the artist to help deliver a unique poem that will be featured within the Pier Gardens development in Cleethorpes.
Within the new gardens, there will be a letter trail, spelling out the word CLEETHORPES, and this poem will be featured on the bench being built to represent the letter ‘P’.
Olivia will lead some free sessions to gather input from local people as inspiration for her poem.
Over the course of a month, there will be three sessions for local people to take part in – two indoors, and one outdoor session.
25 July: Storytime “A day at Cleethorpes” will be held at Bluebell Would, Seaview Street, Cleethorpes at 9.45am – 10.45am. The focus for this is children and families to play together and talk about how they got to Cleethorpes and how they felt about going to the seaside. To book a place please visit here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-day-at-cleethorpes-storytime-workshop-tickets-1994142447742
5 August: “Washed Away” at Atlas, North Promenade, Cleethorpes where people can write messages and draw pictures to put in a bottle, and write or draw things in sand. No booking is required for this session, just drop-in between 1pm and 4pm.
20 August: “Sounds of the Promenade” – a guided walk starting at 10.30am at The Mouse and the Moon lights (Brighton Slipway) along to the Pier. People will be asked to listen to the sounds they can hear, and record thoughts, memories and things they notice on the walk. To book a place visit here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sounds-of-the-promenade-guided-sound-art-walk-tickets-1994146312301
“Anyone can take part in these sessions, regardless of age or experience,” said Olivia. “What we want is for people to come on down, have fun and express themselves in different ways so I can use that to form a piece of creative writing that will be installed on the bench.”
About the letter trail
This interactive trail encourages exploration through the park, with each letter serving as seating, play elements, wayfinding, and interpretation points. It aims to encourage exploration through the park, connecting visitors to Cleethorpes’ landscape, ecology, and heritage.
The ‘P’ bench is designed to mimic the Cleethorpes coastline. It will function as a large navigation structure, highlighting landmarks and points of interest to inspire visitors to explore—or ‘Promenade’—to other areas of the resort.
The arch of the ‘P’ will serve as the canvas for a short poem or phrase that captures the essence of what it means to local residents to be by the sea in Cleethorpes.
For more information about the Pier Gardens project, visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/pier-gardens.
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