What are They?
The Time and Tide Bells are unique, large-scale, public artworks that stand near the high tide mark at selected sites round the UK coast. Seven have been installed since 2009: in London, Scotland, Wales, Lincolnshire, Lancashire and Devon. A further six – including, potentially, the IW – are currently making their way through various stages of the site selection process.
The Bells are a powerful catalyst for a broad range of community activities: celebrations, tourism, education, and much more. They stimulate creativity and highlight the threat of rising sea levels driven by global warming.
Whilst the Bells are large (just under half a ton) they ring gently and are not disruptive. They are tuned to blend with the sound of the breaking waves and are ‘played’ by the movement of the water: creating varying, gentle, musical patterns which are heard only at the point of the highest tide.
Who is Involved?
The Bells were designed by Marcus Vergette. Marcus is an acclaimed American artist who has exhibited in the Venice Guggenheim, Tate Modern, Hungary, Armenia, the Czech Republic, the USA and the UK. He produced his first bell in 2008; having attracted investment from the Arts Council, the National Lottery and multiple private sources. As a result, the cost of casting and delivering each Bell (circa £55,000 each!) is fully covered.
The process of siting the Bells is currently being managed by the Time and Tide Trust (https://timeandtidebell.org/). All of the Bell installations, however, have come about because specific locales have expressed an interest in the project and volunteered to assist with the, not insubstantial, task of Bell installation. In the Isle of Wight this work has been undertaken, pro-bono, by Sculpture South (https://www.sculpturesouth.com), Venture South and members of the local South Wight community. If installed, the ‘Vectis Bell’ would become a permanent gift to the Island with a bespoke identity; including customized mountings, decorations and inscriptions.
What Next?
A half-size Bell has recently arrived on the Island to help publicize the proposed venture and to allay any local concerns about the project. Preliminary discussions with local authorities are underway, and several potential sites in Ventnor are currently under consideration for installation, with local planning approval to be sought in the near future.
Venture South has committed to pay for the initial planning permissions but will be looking to attract additional assistance to:
- Help with the physical installation of the Bell – which, potentially, includes a unique, IW designed, composite material within the mountings – and
- Create a programme of creative school activity based on coastal themes and climate change.