Honiton Hippo collage unveiled at Honiton station
A collaborative collage created by Honiton Primary pupils at Thelma Hulbert Gallery (THG) has been unveiled at Honiton Station.
The artwork was officially unveiled at Honiton Station by the Mayor of Honiton, Councillor Helen Hurford.
in a project led by the Friends of Honiton Station, attractive new artwork has been installed on the inside of the station’s footbridge and a shed on Platform 1. In addition, an illustrated town map has been placed in the station forecourt. The project is the brainchild of Friends’ member, East Devon and Honiton Town Councillor Jenny Brown.
Honiton Primary School pupils created the new artwork on the station footbridge during workshops with artist Alistair Lambert at Thelma Hulbert Gallery (THG), Honiton Museum and in the Blackdown Hills National Landscape. The workshops were part of THG’s Honiton Hippo project for the national Wild Escapecampaign. Local families also created animals to add to the artwork during workshops at the gallery and in the St. Paul’s area of Honiton over the Easter holidays.
Local artist Brittany E Lakin created the artwork on both sides of the Platform 1 shed.
The £6,700 project was made possible thanks to funding from South Western Railway, Honiton Town Council and grants organised by the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership from CrossCountry Trains and the Community Rail Development Fund, a joint initiative of the Department for Transport and the Community Rail Network.
Cllr Jenny Brown said, "I am thrilled to see the unveiling of this vibrant, colourful artwork.
"This project would not have been possible without the strong partnership that has been created over the past few years with our stakeholders, who are always very receptive of our ideas!
"I hope as commuters and visitors to Honiton walk past it, they will take the time to enjoy these latest additions.
Martin Long, Chairman of the Friends of Honiton Station said, " Honiton station is important to so many people, and we are very proud of it, and all that it tries to do. We believe that the station is the perfect venue to promote and develop community-based art. To that end, we have been delighted to work with a range of partners to bring even more exciting artwork to our station."
Councillor Eleanor Rylance, Chair of East Devon District Council, said: "We are delighted to showcase the creativity of local young people and celebrate the remarkable natural environment which surrounds Honiton."
Paula Aldridge, Community Rail Manager for South Western Railway said, "South Western Railway was delighted to support such a worthwhile project. It’s very important for us that we work closely with the communities around our network to help them make their stations somewhere that both customers and residents can be proud of."
Richard Gibson, Stakeholder Manager West & Wales for CrossCountry, said: "This community art really enhances the experience of using Honiton station, and we’re delighted to have been one of its supporters. The train station is a gateway to each community and Honiton can be proud of what its users will now see."
The Friends of Honiton Station publish a monthly newsletter and welcome new members who wish to get involved with volunteering at the station. The newsletter and contact details can be found at https://friendsofhonitonstation.org.uk/
Pictured in the main image, from left to right: Fiona Page-Turner (Thelma Hulbert Gallery), Tony McCollum (Deputy Mayor, Honiton Town Council), Stephen Hill (Town Clerk, HTC), Councillor Jenny Brown (EDDC and HTC), Councillor Eleanor Rylance (Chair, East Devon District Council), Martin Pearce (Department for Transport), Martin Long (Chairman, The Friends of Honiton Station), Andrew Ardley (Regional Development Manager, South Western Railway), Councillor Steve Craddock (Honiton Town Council), Councillor Helen Hurford (Mayor, Honiton Town Council), Richard Burningham (Manager, Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership), Gemma Girvan (Curator, Thelma Hulbert Gallery), Richard Gibson (Stakeholder Manager West & Wales, CrossCountry Trains).
