If you’re walking around Swansea this week, you might begin to wonder why a number of large globes are beginning to pop up all over the city centre. From Tuesday (August 9) you will be able to see the sculptures in streets and other locations throughout the city.
The fibreglass globes, which are nearly six feet tall, will be on show as part of a UK-wide project called The World Reimagined, supported by official presenting partner SKY and Swansea Council. You can get the latest Swansea newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here.
They are designed to explore local history and how it has been shaped by the complex relationship we have with Africa and the Caribbean. They aim to transform how we understand the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans, its impact on all of us and how we can make racial justice a reality. This week will see ten artist-designed globe sculptures installed in streets and other locations across the city centre, while local school pupils have created others that are also set to be on show.
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Each globe has a different theme and has QR codes that, when scanned, can access a treasure trove of stories from our local and national history plus information from the artist who created the installation. A Swansea local community launch was due to take place today, Wednesday, August 10, at the National Waterfront Museum from 12pm until 4pm, while other events are planned to follow over the coming months.
“Swansea’s a diverse city, with more than 100 languages spoken here. We’re proud to be an open and welcoming community with City of Sanctuary status,” said Elliott King, cabinet member at Swansea Council. "We believe The World Reimagined will strengthen our communities’ connections with each other, encouraging people to think in fresh and positive ways about our past, present and future. We were determined to play a full part in this powerful project – it vibrantly reflects the council’s own approach to equality and the arts.
“Creativity across Culture is a force for unity and, like others across Swansea and the World, we strengthened our commitment to racial equality in response to Black Lives Matter. We won’t tolerate racial prejudice, discrimination, harassment, victimisation, abuse or violence against any individual. We aim to serve and echo our communities fairly and positively; our Arts and Cultural activities reflect this. We signed up to The World Reimagined as a direct result of that commitment.” You can read more stories about Swansea here.
Swansea’s globes have been created by artists from across the UK. They include Abbi Bayliss, Hazel Blue, Laura Bolton, Joanna Cohn, Joshua Donkor, Parys Gardener, GE, Mfikela Jean Samuel and Carol Sorhaindo, while globe locations include Swansea Castle, the Quadrant shopping centre and the top of Princess Way.
One globe has been created by Wales-based artist Kyle Legall in collaboration with local communities. Schools have also got involved, with a number of globes being featured on the trail created by pupils who’ve taken part in The World Reimagined learning programme - they can be found in the National Waterfront Museum, the Grand Theatre and the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. Via a digital platform, people will be able to plan their enjoyment of the trail from this Saturday when the full trail details will be released.
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