Sea Music was given to Poole by the sculptor in 1991 and is his only site-specific public creation. Designed to evoke the sound and appearance of the cascading sea through interlocking rings and curves, with central vertical plates recalling the masts and sails of the ships – it has just reached its 25th anniversary on the seafront.

[quote= Nerys Watts, Head of HLF South West]“Our funding is all made possible by National Lottery players, so we’re delighted to support this project which will not only safeguard the future of an important part of Poole’s heritage, but also offer some exciting opportunities for communities."[/quote]

However, vandalism and the effects of the elements have left it in need of restoration.

Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, HLF has awarded the Borough of Poole £195,600 for a project to secure the sculpture’s future, with a further £41,018 coming from Arts Council England.

Symphonies and shades of blue

The project will:

• Carry out a full restoration to secure the future of the sculpture and return it to its original shade of blue – as set out in Caro’s plans
• Realise Caro’s wish to change the viewing platform metalwork from blue to silver to better distinguish it from the sculpture
• Celebrate musical heritage, including the creation of a new score with Jim Aitchison and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
• Create a Sea Music Hub Space with exhibitions and a chance to follow the project’s progress
• Involve people of all ages in talks, art workshops, performances and heritage activities
• Recruit Sea Music ambassadors to raise funds to support the future maintenance of the sculpture

Nerys Watts, Head of HLF South West, said: “Our funding is all made possible by National Lottery players, so we’re delighted to support this project which will not only safeguard the future of an important part of Poole’s heritage, but also offer some exciting opportunities for communities. Poole is a priority area for our funding so we look forward to seeing the visual, learning and creative benefits the Sea Music project is set to create.”