Giant letters set to bring a splash of colour to the new Dewsbury Market

A giant Dewsbury sign is going to be the first installation of the Dewsbury Creative Arts Town Programme.
The letters are going to be made into a permanent feature outside the revamped Dewsbury Market later in the year.The letters are going to be made into a permanent feature outside the revamped Dewsbury Market later in the year.
The letters are going to be made into a permanent feature outside the revamped Dewsbury Market later in the year.

The new sign - which will be 1.3 metres high and 11 metres long - is part of the Dewsbury Creative Town Arts Programme, a £200,000 initiative funded by Kirklees Council as part of its Blueprint plans to revitalise the town centre.

The programme, which is produced by arts organisation Beam, includes a range of permanent and temporary public art interventions at various sites across Dewsbury.

Kate Watson, producer, Dewsbury Creative Town, said: “We’re delighted to see that the artists from Cubic Fruit have found an innovative use for these iconic letters and collaborated with other local artists to add a sculptural aspect to the installation, creating a focal point for everyone to enjoy.”

The orange letters used to form the Superdry sign at the White Rose Centre in Leeds.The orange letters used to form the Superdry sign at the White Rose Centre in Leeds.
The orange letters used to form the Superdry sign at the White Rose Centre in Leeds.

The letters D, U, R and Y are from a former Superdry sign at the White Rose Centre in Leeds which have been rescued from a local reclamation yard, re-surfaced and now awaiting their final respray finish.

The other letters - E, W, S and B - have been designed by Emmeline North and fabricated by Mick Kirkby Geddes and Rebecca Appleby.

Lead artist Emmeline wanted to do a typography installation for the town and create art that would “put the market on the map”.

She said: “Orange has been one of our main colours and because I am really engrossed in the colour palette, I spotted the orange letters straight away.

“The letters had been sitting in the scrap yard for about six years. We rescued, restored and had the other four letters made, to spell out the word Dewsbury.

“They are around 11 metres long for the full word and they stand around 1.3 metres high.

“We are now just working out which site is going to be better for the letters and focusing on making them safe for people to interact with.

“The council have been really brilliant in supporting the vision, and to do something slightly out of the box.”

The installation has been funded by Kirklees Council as part of its plan to create a vibrant town centre.

Councillor Eric Firth, cabinet member for town centres, said: “The recycled letters will undoubtedly add a new dimension to the proposed plans and create new spaces for people to enjoy and appreciate art in the town centre.

“I’m very much looking forward to seeing the letters in situ later in the year and seeing this project finally come to life.”

The letters are going to be made into a permanent feature outside the revamped Dewsbury Market and will be installed later in the year.