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Olympic champion cyclist Chris Hoy unveils new artwork that calls to make change happen

Yahoo News UK
·4-min read
Hoy, 45, racked up a thrilling six Olympic gold medals between 2004 and 2012
Hoy, 45, racked up a thrilling six Olympic gold medals between 2004 and 2012

Today, former world and Olympic champion cyclist Sir Chris Hoy has unveiled a striking new installation at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. The artwork has been commissioned by The National Lottery to inspire change and to encourage the public to think about how they might use some of the £30million raised for good causes each week in their own communities.

The installation in Edinburgh is the first of four pieces of artwork that The National Lottery plans to unveil this week across the UK as part of its 27th birthday celebrations. The installation is an anamorphic piece of artwork that when viewed from a specific angle says the word ‘BUILD’ and from another view forms a question mark. Once all four pieces have been unveiled, they will form the message ‘BUILD DREAMS, CREATE CHANGE’ to prompt the question what change could you make to improve your local community?

The installations have been created by leading arts collective Greyworld and inspired by National Lottery funded projects. Each installation has been made from more than 636 National Lottery balls, which represent the 636,000 and more organisations that have benefited from funding across the sports, art, heritage and community sectors.

The installation in Edinburgh is the first of four pieces of artwork that The National Lottery plans to unveil this week across the UK as part of its 27th birthday celebrations
The installation in Edinburgh is the first of four pieces of artwork that The National Lottery plans to unveil this week across the UK as part of its 27th birthday celebrations

Included in the artwork are unique objects, including dancing shoes and a sewing kit that represent four Scottish projects which have benefited from National Lottery funding:

  • Hear Me Out - a project launched during Dundee Pride in 2019 in partnership with McManus Galleries in which young people used creative dance to connect with communities and explore social issues. Led by their artistic director – award winning choreographer, Thomas Small, who was appointed as BBC Radio 2’s first artist in residence in 2015, Hear Me Out is a project by Dundee-based charity Shaper/Caper.

  • Jiggly Joggers - a Glasgow community-based walking, jogging, and running network specifically for women looking to get active. The founder Elaine Leitch initially started the group to encourage women to get active and create a safe space for all women to enjoy exercising – no matter their size, shape, or ability.

  • Sewing2gether All Nations - a weekly group for English language learners based in Paisley. The group have created a supportive and inclusive community in which asylum seekers, refugees and new Scots can learn to sew and practice conversational English. They can also receive advice and practical support to participate in other activities within the local community and help them to move on to other opportunities.

  • Licketyspit - an early-years theatre company based in Glasgow that uses ‘Storyplay’ – their drama-led play approach – to bring together families and communities and help children’s development. The company consists of various strands including Porridge & Play which inspires children and their parents to embrace play and imagination.

Each installation has been made from more than 636 National Lottery balls, which represent the 636,000 and more organisations that have benefited from funding across the sports, art, heritage and community sectors
Each installation has been made from more than 636 National Lottery balls, which represent the 636,000 and more organisations that have benefited from funding across the sports, art, heritage and community sectors

Former World and Olympic Champion Cyclist, Sir Chris Hoy, said: “My own Olympic dreams were made possible by the outstanding funding provided by National Lottery players, which has completely transformed British sport over the last decade. I am so proud to be taking part in this exciting campaign and have the opportunity to celebrate all of the things that National Lottery players continue to make possible.”

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Chair of the National Lottery Forum, said: “For 27 years National Lottery funding has been transforming communities, turning dreams into reality and making life better for millions of people. As we emerge from what has been a desperately challenging time, we want to inject hope and encourage communities to imagine what they could achieve with a helping hand from The National Lottery. With £30million raised for good causes each week, we have grants available from £3,000 to £5million. By coming together as communities, we can build, dream and create to change our future for the better and for generations to come.”

The Scottish installation will be available to view in the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh until Sunday 21st November, with other installations popping up in Antrim Castle Gardens in Northern Ireland, Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff and Trafalgar Square in London. For more information on National Lottery funding go to https://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/funding