The fan art creation, named ‘A Tribute to Dr Who’, stands in Swansea’s train station and celebrates the show’s proud Welsh history of writing talent and filming locations.
Sponsored by reTHINK PR & Marketing, the sculpture’s TARDIS design and pop-art portraits hope to inspire conversation and showcase creativity here in Wales.
Why has the TARDIS landed in Swansea for the summer? ‘A Tribute to Dr Who’ is all part of the Wales Air Ambulance Charity’s Castles in the Sky art trail, leading visitors through Swansea city centre with stunning sculptures that celebrate Welsh creativity.
Each sculpture has been sponsored by a local business, supporting local creatives. Already, the trail has seen 6,374,587 steps taken by visitors and over 2,800 miles covered.
What’s more, the Tribute will go up for auction when the art trail ends – giving Dr Who superfans the chance to become the ‘Time Lord’ of their very own castle.
The auction will raise vital funds for Wales Air Ambulance, helping the all-Wales charity to continue delivering 24/7 lifesaving medical care to people across Wales. There will also be a raffle, giving people the chance to win a small replica of the striking sculpture.
Artist Nathan Wyburn said on the design:
“I was inspired to create ‘A Tribute to Dr Who’ to showcase the series’ Welsh connections.
“Dr Who has become an international sensation in recent years, and I’m proud that such a celebrated show has its roots firmly in Wales.
“I also wanted to pay tribute to how diverse and inclusive Dr Who has become, and I wanted to highlight this by keeping the design bright and fun for everyone to enjoy.
“Creating this bespoke piece of art for Wales Air Ambulance was a real privilege, and I hope it helps to raise the funds needed to keep their helicopters taking to the skies and saving lives.
“It’s such a worthy cause, so even if you don’t want to bid to own the sculpture, I’d encourage people to donate to the Charity!”
Mark Stevens, Head of Fundraising for Wales Air Ambulance, said:
“Working with an artist as renowned as Nathan Wyburn adds real appeal to the ‘Castles in the Sky’ art trail, and we are delighted Nathan has chosen such an iconic Welsh programme to showcase and celebrate through his sculpture.
“We know there are many life-long fans of Dr Who, who would love to own a one-of-a-kind piece of fan art such as this.
“We hope to see many bids coming through for this unique sculpture, as the money raised will help to keep our helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road across Wales.
“We rely wholly on donations to operate our lifesaving service, and thanks to the support of the people of Wales, we have recently attended our 50,000th mission.
“The crew onboard is highly skilled and can carry out medical procedures which are usually available in hospitals only, including blood transfusions, administering anaesthesia and even undertaking emergency operations. This can save valuable hours in treatment times, which can make lifesaving difference to patient outcomes.”
The ‘Castles in the Sky’ auction will take place on October 3rd in-person at Swansea’s Marriott hotel and online.
All of the large castles in the trail, excluding the Charity’s ‘Forget-Me-Not’ castle, will be available to buy at the auction, the mini castles sculptures (the little keep-sakes) created by schools and community groups will return to those who created them.
The 10-week art trail is being delivered in partnership with creative producers, Wild in Art, and is supported by Principal Partner, Swansea Business Improvement District (BID), along with Printing Partner, BDP Wales and Logistics Partner, Owens Group.
To support Wales Air Ambulance and register interest for the auction, where you can bid on ‘A Tribute to Dr Who’, visit https://www.walesairambulance.com/listing/category/win-our-artists-replica-dr-who-castle.
[Lead image: ReThink]
