Lucy Claire Walker on helping to shape ‘Ebb and Flow’, Plymouth’s new remembrance sculpture

<p dir="ltr">“I’ve started the second year of Fine Art,” says Lucy. “I was brought onto the project at an early stage when it was just in conception. Plymouth City Council visited Arts University Plymouth and set the brief that they wanted students to help design and make a new sculpture for Remembrance Day.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The brief resonated with Lucy’s lived experience. “I grew up doing Girl Guiding, often participating in local Remembrance parades. I remember feeling honoured to be given the chance to contribute as I got older and was given roles like bearing a flag or laying a wreath.” She also carries a family connection to service: “My grandfather was a soldier in the British army, and saw conflict such as the Second World War, being one of the first on the Normandy beaches on D-Day as a radio operator. He later took part in the Korean War.”<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Lucy was one of several Arts University Plymouth students invited to submit an initial design proposal and she stayed closely involved throughout development.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I met with the Military Kids Club and pitched ideas in the group meetings we’ve been having, giving feedback on designs,” she explains. “Working with Babcock has been such an educational experience. I’ve been able to suggest materials and rationales, really taking part in the process. I’ve learned so much by having an overview of all the different production stages.”<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Across the proposals, the student team sought a balance between reflection and hope. “We wanted the Remembrance project to not be too sombre. It needed to be reflective, but predominantly uplifting to the children of military families,” says Lucy. “We all worked with metal in our designs, knowing the final sculpture had to be weather resistant, so we narrowed our materials to stainless steel or corten steel.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In the final winning concept by David Beasley, two figures, a parent and child, lean towards one another so that, as viewers walk around, one form disappears as the other appears, expressing absence and reunion. The design was selected by local school pupils after video pitches, with fabrication led by Babcock engineers ahead of a November 2025 unveiling beside the Council House on Armada Way.<br /></p>

<p><em>Ebb and Flow</em> has been a student-led collaboration. David Beasley (BA (Hons) Craft &amp; Material Practices) is the lead student and designer of the selected concept. He has worked in lockstep with Ant Hill MBE (BA (Hons) Fine Art), who acted as co-lead in driving the project forward with partners and engineering teams. Lucy Claire Walker, Dorron Britz (BA (Hons) Fine Art), and Claire Jones (BA (Hons) Craft &amp; Material Practices) contributed to early design development, workshops with Military Kids Clubs and ongoing feedback during fabrication, leading to a collective effort that shaped the final outcome.</p>

<p dir="ltr">With a background in basic CAD and 3D design, Lucy says the commission has expanded her horizons: “This has been something that’s really opened my eyes to large-scale fabrication… That’s something I really strive to undertake; to make larger, more immersive and more impactful works for audiences.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Lucy is now booking more technical inductions on campus, including 3D printing. Students at Arts University Plymouth have open access to specialist studios and Fab Lab South West, the largest Fab Lab in the region, offering 3D printing, scanning, CNC milling/routing and laser cutting, alongside dedicated CAD facilities.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-fine-art">BA (Hons) Fine Art</a> at Arts University Plymouth is a studio-centred, interdisciplinary course where you can work across painting, sculpture, installation, moving image, sound, glass, print, performance and more, supported by technical workshops and a teaching team of practising artists. Live projects, residencies and public commissions connect your studio practice to real audiences and partners.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Why choose this course?</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Interdisciplinary freedom with expert guidance, facilities and workshops across materials and scale.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Opportunities to test and exhibit work with partners including our on-site gallery, MIRROR, and cultural organisations across the city.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Access to region-leading facilities including Fab Lab South West, the Material Lab, and extensive print, media and digital resources.</p></li></ul> <p><strong>Visit Arts University Plymouth</strong><br />Meet tutors and students, explore studios and see how you could take part in live, city-facing projects like <em>Ebb and Flow</em>. If you attend an <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/open-days">Open Day</a> or campus tour, you can claim up to £80 towards travel.</p>