Children and artists work on spirit of sport

It is part of a campaign to erect a statue outside Bolton Arena which will embodying the spirit of sport - and what it means to Bolton.

For the last six weeks, writers, painters, sculptors, musicians and weavers have been working on their interpretation of the subject.

The work is being co-ordinated by poetry group Just Poets, and includes one project by weaver Mary Rudkin, who has been working with young boxers at the Castle Hill Boxing Club in Bolton to create a moving sculpture of yarn wool.

Illustrator Sean Creagh has been helped by community group members at the Phoenix Theatre to create a Spirit of Sport comic book character. South African artist Noalene Gillat has been designing a logo for the Spirit of Sport, which will be put on skateboards.

Visual artist Janet Kay Burns has been creating a handprint collage with Zaks Youth Club in Farnworth, which aims to discover the DNA of the Spirit of Sport.

And Ann McArdle has worked with children under five at the Wagon Road Early Learning Centre, who have submitted 35 illustrations on their view of the spirit of sport.

In June, the work will be featured at an exhibition during the Greater Manchester Youth Games. A panel of judges will pick the best entry and the winning artist will be commissioned to work on the sculpture.

Mr Norman Warwick, joint co-ordinator of Just-Poets, has urged local people to put their views forward about what constitutes the Spirit of Sport in Bolton.

They are offering a free creative writing workshop to one community group who can help capture the Spirit of Sport. The group will be randomly picked at the end of April and will receive a free creative workshop.

Anyone interested should send the name of their organisation, meeting venue, and dates and times of planned meetings in May, along with their own contact details (including phone number), to Spirit of Sport, Just Poets, 19 Kirkstall Ave, Heywood, Lancashire OL10 4UT. Closing date is April 30.