'˜There But Not There' Art marks WW1 centenary in the borough

Antrim & Newtownabbey Mayor, Cr. Paul Michael has unveiled The '˜There But Not There' art installation at Antrim Castle Gardens.
Antrim and Newtownabbey's Mayor, Councillor Paul Michael unveiled The There But Not There art installation at Antrim Castle Gardens - the installation has been at various locations across the borough.Antrim and Newtownabbey's Mayor, Councillor Paul Michael unveiled The There But Not There art installation at Antrim Castle Gardens - the installation has been at various locations across the borough.
Antrim and Newtownabbey's Mayor, Councillor Paul Michael unveiled The There But Not There art installation at Antrim Castle Gardens - the installation has been at various locations across the borough.

The installation is part of the Council’s ‘A Boroughs Tribute’, a programme of arts and cultural activity to mark the centenary of the end of The Great War.

The ‘There But Not There’ art installation has been unveiled at various locations across the borough.

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Ghostly figures of First World War soldiers or ‘Tommies’, in various forms have been produced to mark the centenary, whilst also fundraising with the aim of raising in excess of £15 million for armed forces and mental health charities, including Walking With The Wounded. The campaign aims to commemorate all those who lost their lives with communities encouraged to place some of these ghostly figures in their local area to commemorate those lost from their community.

Two 6FT metal ‘Tommy’ sculptures, seen around the UK at Giant’s Causeway, Hearts FC, The Big Pit in Wales and The Tower of London, have been installed in Antrim Castle Gardens and outside The Replica Trench Mossley Mill. The sculptures are poignant and affecting figures that embody the ‘There But Not There’ message and they will remain in place until the end of November.

Mayor Michael said: “The ‘There But Not There’ art installation is a particularly poignant element of our commemorative programme.

“These ghostly silhouettes have been placed in the heart of our community, symbolic of the lives of husbands, fathers, brothers and sons never to return home’

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In addition, 13 ‘Tommy’ silhouettes have been installed at Randalstown War Memorial, Antrim Civic Centre, Mossley Mill, Antrim Town War Memorial, Cross of Sacrifice Carnmoney Cemetery, Belmont Cemetery, Whiteabbey War Memorial, Ballyclare War Memorial Park, Antrim Forum, Lilian Bland Community Park, The Valley Leisure Centre, Ballynure War Memorial and Crumlin War Memorial.

There But Not There is the 2018 Armistice project for the charity Remembered. There But Not There aims to define the centenary commemoration of the end of the 1914-1918 war, installed where the men and women came from across the country, back in the communities they left behind. This project aims to Commemorate, Educate and Heal – the three aims of the charity. Funds raised from the sale of its Tommies, which are made by the Royal British Legion Industries, appropriately, by ex-Service Veterans employed by RBLI, will contribute directly to the work carried out by their beneficiary charities.