Loughborough University: Students and recent alumna collaborate to produce a new sculpture for Loughborough University’s campus

A team of current and recent graduate students from a range of disciplines have been commissioned to produce a sculpture for the Loughborough campus, which will be located at the Claudia Parson’s Hall of residence.

The group have been announced as the winners of an LU Arts competition which was launched last November, which was made possible thanks to the generosity of donors Barry and Valerie Eccleston. Students were provided with a brief to design a sculptural work for the hall of residence, and in recognition of Claudia Parsons being the first hall on campus to be named after a woman, were required to have at least one female student in each team.

‘Flux’ will be a functional and striking installation that creates cohesion and contrast with the existing landscape, hoping to welcome interaction and engagement from passers-by. Its dark wood timber sculpture interacts with the landscape and viewers in multiple ways: the physical presence, the interplay of landscape and shadows, and the positive and negative space utilised to frame aspects of the surroundings.

It is inspired by the student journey, showing the highs and lows of university life, and representing the impact the experience has on the rest of their lives. A circular cut-out in the sculpture represents the globe, which Claudia Parsons circumnavigated by car and was the first woman in the world to do so.

The team will receive an £8,000 production fee as well as a £2,000 fee for producing the design. They met with the Ecclestons last week at the site to discuss the sculpture in more detail.