The famous Cerne Abbas Giant, an ancient chalk figure carved into a hillside in Dorset, England, has been joined by a temporary artistic companion as part of a $50,000 community arts initiative. The new artwork, titled 'Consequences,' was created through collaboration between asylum seekers, schoolchildren, and people with learning disabilities from Yeovil, Somerset, who worked together to compose the figure using materials collected directly from the giant's hill.
The collaborative artwork incorporates natural elements gathered from the site, including chalk, flowers, and butterfly wings, which were integrated into canvases featuring artwork created by the participating community groups. The project is part of the national Nature Calling arts initiative, a program designed to help people develop deeper connections with well-known natural landscapes across the country.
Artist Becca Gill from Bath, Somerset, who spearheaded the creation of the figure, explained her vision for the project's impact on both creators and viewers. "I hoped it would make its creators and viewers feel like giants by coming together in appreciation of nature," Gill said. She noted the profound effect the project had on participants, many of whom had never visited the famous landmark despite living just a few miles away in Yeovil. "Their reactions were extraordinary. One non-verbal child spoke for the first time," she recalled. "The asylum seekers and refugee children were able to play, be joyful and be giant."
The new hillside figure stands in stark contrast to its ancient male counterpart, featuring a deliberately genderless design with distinctive artistic elements. The creation includes eyes made of flowers, butterfly-shaped ears, tentacle-like legs, and notably, a heart composed of individual petals, with each petal representing one of the asylum seekers who contributed to the project. This symbolic representation emphasizes the human stories and experiences that form the artwork's emotional core.
Gill and her team of colleagues worked to amalgamate the various drawings and collages contributed by participants into a single, cohesive final image. The completed design was then printed onto four large canvases, covering an impressive area measuring 30 meters by 40 meters (approximately 100 feet by 130 feet). This substantial size makes the new figure approximately three-quarters the height of the historic Cerne Abbas Giant, creating a significant visual presence on the landscape.
Funding for the ambitious project came through a partnership between the Arts Council and Dorset National Landscape, an organization that receives financial support from both the government and Dorset Council. This collaborative funding approach reflects the project's community-focused mission and its role in connecting diverse populations with England's cultural heritage sites.
The temporary nature of the installation means that after its time beside the Cerne Abbas Giant, the artwork will be carefully dismantled and begin a regional tour to reach broader audiences. The first stop on this tour will be Summerhouse Hill in Yeovil on September 13 and 14, where the community will celebrate with a special parade honoring the collaborative achievement. Following the Yeovil celebration, the artwork will move to the historic Corfe Castle location the subsequent weekend, continuing its mission to bring art and community connection to various landscapes throughout the region.
