'Queen's Beasts' tour and photo competition

An interpretation of the original Queen's Beasts stone sculptures, which guarded the entrance to Westminster Abbey on the Queen's Coronation Day on 2 June 1953, are about to tour across the UK. There will also be a photography competition held in conjunction with the tour.

The tour starts on 1 August 2012 at Assembly House in Norwich, moving on to Royal Berkshire Show and then Tattersalls at Newmarket. The end of the tour will be October 2012.

The ten sculptures include The Lion of England, The Unicorn of Scotland and The White Horse of Hanover. They represent the genealogy of Queen Elizabeth II, and have been created by the artist Tom Hiscocks.

Although the original sculptures were made of stone, Hiscocks chose to show his interest in recycling and identifying changes over time by remaking the Beasts using recycled metals and drinks cans. It is said to have taken around 2,000 hours, 3,000 drinks cans, a fire extinguisher, car bumpers and headlamps along with other recycled materials to recreate the Beasts.

Tim Hiscocks said, “When I visited the beasts in Kew Gardens, I had a strong sense that their spirits were compromised by the way they were represented. They said: ‘We’re stuck in poses that were for a particularly formal occasion 60 years ago. We have evolved. Can you help?’”.

The project is sponsored by Ball Packaging, the world’s largest producer of drink cans and major promoters of metal recycling. Norman Lett, UK Recycling Manager for Ball Packaging Europe, said, “Ball works hard to communicate the merits of recycling to consumers of drinks cans to help mitigate environmental footprint. Working with Tom’s “Beasts” helps to communicate those messages and reflect the value and benefits of metal recycling in an interesting and engaging way.”

Visitors to the sculptures will also have a chance to win a digital Nikon camera, with five runners up receiving a copy of a special “The Queen’s Beasts” book, signed by Tom Hiscocks. To have a chance at winning, entrants simply need to send a photo of their favourite beast and give it a name.

For more information and for details on how to enter the “Name the Beast” competition, visit queensbeasts.tumblr.com

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