Female Head - Former Sutton Manor Colliery, UK - Figurative Public Sculpture on Waymarking.com

A nearby sign tells the story of the site and the sculpture.

"Ex terra lucem: from the earth comes light"


The History of the Site

Suttom Manor Colliery was the only pit within the former St. Helens boundary to be opened during the 20th Century and the last to close. It dates back to May 1906 when No 1 shaft (582 metres deep) was sunk. No 2 shaft (710 metres deep) was completed in 1912. The two shafts were inter-linked and this became one of the largest pits in the Lancashire coalfield.

At its height in the 1960s Sutton Manor employed 1,500 men producing more than 600,000 tonnes of coal a year. it closed in 1991, nevertheless significant coal reserves remain underground.

Stewardship of the site passed to the Forestry Commission and more than 50,000 new trees were planted around Sutton Manor in conjunction with the Mersey Forest initiative.

However the local community never stopped dreaming of a memorial to what had been its economic and social hub, some would say its hub.

The Story of Dream

The idea of creating a gateway public art feature on the site was first expressed in 2003. The chance to realise this came in 2006 when it was chosen as one of only seven UK sites to be developed and filmed for Channel 4's ground-breaking 'Big Art Project'.

The site was selected thanks to its rich cultural heritage and the passion of the ex-miners who nominated it, plus its potential regeneration impact and prominent location - over 100,000 vehicles pass it daily on the M62 (that's over 35 million a year).

Dream was conceived and designed by Spanis artist Jaume Plensa whi has completed major commissions across the globe.

The 20 metre high sculpture is made of pre-cast concrete and Spanish dolomite. This lends it a luminescent finish and means its appearance differs according to the weather and time of day.

Dream takes the form of a girl's head with her eyes closed in a seemingly dream-like state, resting on a plinth inspired by the small tally that identified each miner. The notion is simple but profound for in Jaume's own words 'When we dream anything is possible.'

The concept was inspired by the former motto of St. Helens and the colliery 'ex terra lucem' ('from the earth comes light'). It was also directly informed by ex-miners and the wider local community who rather than a mining monument wanted an aspirational forward-looking sculpture that would create a beautiful inspiring space for future generations.

Construction began in October 2008 and Dream was officially unveiled on 31 May 2009. It has since won numerous awards.

Dream was commissioned and delivered by St. Helens Council and the support of Channel 4, Arts Council England, The European Union, the Art Fund, the Northwest Development Agency, Liverpool Biennial and the Forestry Commission.

Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Dream Figure Type: Human Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Jaume Plensa Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: 2009 Materials used: Pre-cast Concrete and Spanish Dolomite Location: Sutton Manor

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