Our statue for the ‘forgotten’ suffragette and heroine , Mary Clarke, has come closer, with the promise from Brighton & Hove City Council of £35,000 of Community
Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money. Our trustees have argued for many years that CIL funding could be used for public art and commemoration here in Brighton. Now this decision has been made, Denise Dutton the sculptor is finally able to schedule the work she needs to do to make and cast in bronze the maquette she designed.
It will take many months, perhaps close to a year, to erect
the statue. And there is more fundraising to do to pay for the excavation, stonework and installation and celebrate its unveiling. However, we know now that our city will have the statue of Mary Clarke in New Road opposite the entrance to the Theatre Royal, by 2028, the Centenary of all women in Britain obtaining the Vote.
Chair of Trustees Jean Calder said:
“This is wonderful news. We are so grateful to the City Council, especially Cllrs Bella Sankey and Jacob Taylor who have pushed so hard for this. Also to Ward councillors Ellen McLeay and Sue Shanks and many others, like Cllr Alan Robins, who over the years have
argued for this statue. This includes some who have left the council such as Tony Janio and Dan Yates and others, like Mary Mears, who have sadly died without seeing it come to fruition.”
“This £35,000 will almost exactly ‘match fund’ the cash we have raised over the years from many, many hundreds of
individual donors. Denise Dutton, our wonderful sculptor has completed the design and made a bronze maquette which is displayed in the Foyer to the Jubilee Library. She
can now schedule work on the statue itself. The charity hopes the statue will be in place in 2027, well before the 2028 Centenary.”
“Fundraising will continue to meet the additional costs of erecting the statue and the unveiling, which is likely to be huge event. Thereafter we hope to further develop our educational work inspired by Mary’s legacy.”
“We are proud of what Mary represents as a survivor of domestic abuse and a campaigner of enormous courage, one prepared to lay down her life for democracy, equality and, above all, women’s rights. We know her statue will be an inspiration to the city and its many visitors from around the world.”