Public Art Penguin

SOUTHEND-based artist Carys Hyland is set to make a splash in this year’s Waddle-on-Sea Art Trail, a large-scale event raising vital funds for Havens Hospices.

Having previously contributed to Southend’s Herd In The City trail in her role as a Lifestyle Assistant at Admiral Court Care Home in Leigh, Ms Hyland is thrilled to have been selected as one of the talented artists bringing the city’s latest art installation – a huddle of colourful penguin sculptures – to life.

Ms Hyland is a self-established artist and studied art at university. In her role at Admiral Court Care Home, Carys used her talents to paint the residents’ memories onto ‘Remi the Reminiscent’ elephant, a mini elephant that was part of Herd In The City, Havens Hospices’ previous art trail. The design of the care home’s elephant was a mixture of beautiful forget-me-nots, the symbol of dementia, and ‘Polaroid’ pictures depicting the residents’ memories.

At the time, Ms Hyland didn’t know much about Havens Hospices, but that soon changed when her partner Paul was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. She said: “The irony is I got involved and did the mini elephant with residents at my work, long before I even knew what Fair Havens did.

“We took part because we wanted to support a local charity and knew the importance of the care that Havens Hospices provides. At the time, I didn’t realise Fair Havens would become such a big part of our lives, and the trail would be raising money to support the care Paul and I would rely on for the last three months of his life.”

Talking about the support the pair received from Fair Havens, Ms Hyland said: “In a weird way, I really enjoyed being here,” she added: “It was the best place we could be in the worst situation. They made everything just that little bit easier.

“He had these big windows, so he could still see the outside. We got him into the recliner chair and ventured out of his room too. We even got to take him outside in the garden one day. It’s crazy what we took for granted before, but for him, just feeling the fresh air again was so special.

“His world had gotten so much smaller, but he still had tea, cake, and the people he loved. That was enough.”

Following Ms Hyland’s painting of a baby sculpture as part of the Learning & Community Programme for Herd In The City, she submitted a design for Waddle-on-Sea and has been commissioned as one of the 30 artists bringing the penguins to life.

She said, “I cried when I found out. I am so excited to paint my own penguin this year, and it means even more to me being part of the trail this year as I know it’s raising money for people just like Paul.”

Ms Hyland is one of a few artists creating a baby penguin for the trail. The penguin will be auctioned alongside the large penguins, giving people a chance to take home a smaller piece of the trail.

Talking about her design, which is top secret until the trail launches on 11th July, she said: “This design brings to life the underwater world and the beautiful creatures in the deep ocean. You’ll notice no one is alone and they are all in pairs or groups.”

Each penguin has been sponsored by a local company. The Waddle-on-Sea trail is a fun, free and accessible event taking place in the city of Southend and Leigh, attracting thousands of people of all ages for an ‘ice’ day out.

The penguins will be dotted around the city from mid-July to September before being auctioned off to help raise thousands of pounds for the free, specialist hospice care that Havens Hospices provides for local adults, children, and their families.

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Picture: Ms Hyland with her penguin.

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