“A Symbol for Northstowe” Heritage-inspired Sculpture To Be Unveiled at Community Celebration

“A Symbol for Northstowe” – a sculpture by Chloe Leaper – will be unveiled at Northstowe Community Centre’s Celebration Event on Saturday 30th September. 

The design of the ceramic mosaic and metalwork sculpture has been developed with residents of Northstowe, Longstanton, and Willingham, through open access workshops, school workshops, community rooms for older people, and faith groups. Inspiration has come from across the centuries, including the remains of Roman shrines and roundhouses found in Northstowe, mediaeval field furrows, RAF Oakington runway, and the systems of archaeological trenches dug before development in Northstowe began. 

Much of the material for the mosaic element of the sculpture is original Roman pottery fragments found during archaeological investigations in Northstowe – tying the old and the new together in this piece of public art for a new community. 

The sculpture, which is the ultimate output of the Northstowe Heritage Art Project, is being installed in the garden of the new Northstowe Community Centre. Willingham-based artist Chloe Leaper will be at the Northstowe Community Centre Celebration to introduce members of the community to the sculpture, displaying the sketchbooks and workshop designs that led to the final artwork. 

The sculpture was commissioned by Northstowe Arts CIC. The Northstowe Heritage Art Project was made possible by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Homes England, Cambridgeshire County Council and Northstowe Foodies, and by working alongside project partners Homes England, Cambridgeshire County Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council and Longstanton & District Heritage Society. 

Mari O’Neill, Director of Northstowe Arts CIC and local resident, said “It’s been fantastic to see people of all ages being fascinated with our local history and really getting involved in designing this sculpture. In its new home at Northstowe Community Centre, I hope it inspires more people to find out about the heritage of this land, as our new community develops in Northstowe.”  

Chloe Leaper said: “This has undoubtedly been the most enriching experience of my career. I am so grateful to Northstowe Arts, the local community and the project partners for the opportunity of utilising my artistic and educational practice to develop a much greater understanding of, and connection to, my local history and past and present community.” 

Dean Harris, Senior Planning and Enabling Manager (Large Sites – Northstowe) of Homes England, said “We’re excited to see the final output of this project which Homes England part-funded returned to the people that created it, with the sculpture set to be unveiled in the new Northstowe Community Centre garden soon. 

“This has been a truly inclusive project, recognising the area’s history while enabling the vibrant, growing Northstowe community to influence the creation of a symbol to reflect Northstowe’s identity. 

“It was great for Homes England to be involved in some of the community engagement activities and see the creative process between Chloe and the community take shape in practice. We’re looking forward to officially sharing the sculpture with residents and recognising the efforts of those involved at the upcoming Community Centre celebration event.”

Everyone is invited to a Celebration event for the Northstowe Community Centre, which kicks off 3-6pm on Saturday 30th September with an afternoon of tasters and introductions to all the community groups active in Northstowe, including Northstowe Arts. Food vans, courtesy of Northstowe Foodies, will be serving from 5pm, and a quiz is open to all from 7pm. The event is being organised by Northstowe Hub.