Made in England - Lincolnshire Sound Sculpture

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Lincolnshire Sound Sculpture

When a viewer approaches Hive, they are immersed in a soundscape atmosphere from a place in Lincolnshire – they include the waterfront at Sutton on Sea, a Lincolnshire garden at dawn or busy Boston town centre.

"Hive" began with the idea of creating something artistic that 'worked on the radio'. It was obvious that sound was going to play a large part. BBC Lincolnshire teamed up with the Lincolnshire based artist, Nick Jones who trained in sculpture and also works as Visual Arts Manager for the local arts organisation artsNK.

Nick's first design was based on a merchants chest, and specifically the botanist Joseph Banks who brought samples from around the world back to his home in Lincolnshire. It then evolved into a beehive, with the idea that it would store the sweet sounds of Lincolnshire for all to enjoy, and the staff at BBC Lincolnshire would be the busy worker bees, gathering the sounds from around the county!

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Hive is made of cast aluminium, with textures on its outside surface representing what makes Lincolnshire special, including the sea and Lincoln's Roman arch. Holes in its sides will house mini sculptures in 'feely boxes'. These feature interpretations of agriculture, wildlife, windmills and the county's RAF heritage, among others.

See images of the sculpture

When a viewer approaches Hive, they are immersed in a soundscape atmosphere from a place in Lincolnshire – they include the waterfront at Sutton on Sea, a Lincolnshire garden at dawn or busy Boston town centre. A closer investigation of the feely boxes triggesr the playing of more 'spot sounds' including those which represent the county's RAF heritage, agriculture, and many others – all suggested by BBC Radio Lincolnshire listeners and Look North viewers.

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