14 Sep Octopus Ahoy! sets course for enduring legacy with charity auction
OCTOPUS AHOY! won thousands of hearts during the public art trail and now is set fair to raise thousands of pounds for local charitable causes at auction. All 30 large sculptures and a handful of smaller ones will now be bid on at auction with funds secured split evenly between Essex Community Foundation and the Tendring Community Fund to make sure the poplar event secures a longstanding legacy.
Renowned auctioneers, Reeman Dansie, will be conducting the auction, with online bidding for the iconic sculptures commencing on Wednesday 15th September ahead of the live auction at Le Talbooth on Thursday 23rd September. Art lovers can find out more about the event, view each of the sculptures available online bidding and book a ticket for the live auction via https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/reeman-dansie/catalogue-id-srree10152.
Cllr Alex Porter, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism at Tendring District Council – which sponsored the overall trail – hailed the project a real success: “More than the data showing how many people have visited our district as a result of this, and how active they have been with millions of steps taken, the real measure of success has been the smiles on people’s faces as they picture themselves with the octopuses and what a talking point they became,” he said.
“I have heard of lots of families who have enjoyed taking on the trail, and well done to all those who became Octo-champions and found them all – that is no mean feat! The hope now is that people continue to be active, and for those who perhaps visited Tendring – or new parts of it for them – for the first time will return due to those happy memories. Beyond that legacy we also have the upcoming sculpture auction which we hope will raise plenty of money for Tendring good causes.”
Katie Skingle, Director at KAT Marketing, said: “Not only are these incredible sculptures written into Tendring folklore, but now they will be part of raising funds for great causes locally to secure their legacy for generations to come. The fantastic local art pieces are bound to make tens of thousands of pounds for charity, so all art lovers need to make sure to get their bids in early and book tickets to the auction to grab a slice of local history.”
