Dr Who fan art creation lands in Swansea

A 7ft castle turret shaped TARDIS featuring portraits of present Dr Who Ncuti Gatwa and writer Russell T Davies has landed in Swansea.

The fan art creation, named ‘A Tribute to Dr Who’, was designed by international artist Nathan Wyburn and stands in Swansea’s train station.

The sculpture is part of the Wales Air Ambulance Charity’s Castles in the Sky art trail, leading visitors through Swansea city centre with stunning sculptures that celebrate Welsh creativity.

Each sculpture has been sponsored by a local business to support local creatives.

Already, the trail has seen over 6 million steps taken by visitors and over 2,800 miles covered.

Auction

The Dr Who tribute will go up for auction when the art trail ends – the money raised will go to Wales Air Ambulance.

There will also be a raffle giving people the chance to win a small replica of the striking sculpture.

Nathan Wyburn, artist, said: “I was inspired to create ‘A Tribute to Dr Who’ to showcase the series’ Welsh connections. Dr Who has become an international sensation in recent years, and I’m proud that such a celebrated show has its roots firmly in Wales.

“I also wanted to pay tribute to how diverse and inclusive Dr Who has become, and I wanted to highlight this by keeping the design bright and fun for everyone to enjoy.

“Creating this bespoke piece of art for Wales Air Ambulance was a real privilege, and I hope it helps to raise the funds needed to keep their helicopters taking to the skies and saving lives.

“It’s such a worthy cause, so even if you don’t want to bid to own the sculpture, I’d encourage people to donate to the Charity!”

Mark Stevens, Head of Fundraising for Wales Air Ambulance, said: “Working with an artist as renowned as Nathan Wyburn adds real appeal to the ‘Castles in the Sky’ art trail, and we are delighted Nathan has chosen such an iconic Welsh programme to showcase and celebrate through his sculpture.

“We know there are many life-long fans of Dr Who, who would love to own a one-of-a-kind piece of fan art such as this. We hope to see many bids coming through for this unique sculpture, as the money raised will help to keep our helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road across Wales.

“We rely wholly on donations to operate our lifesaving service, and thanks to the support of the people of Wales, we have recently attended our 50,000th mission. The crew onboard is highly skilled and can carry out medical procedures which are usually available in hospitals only, including blood transfusions, administering anaesthesia and even undertaking emergency operations. This can save valuable hours in treatment times, which can make lifesaving difference to patient outcomes.”

Trail

The ‘Castles in the Sky’ auction will take place on 3rd October in-person at Swansea’s Marriott hotel and online.

All of the large castles in the trail, excluding the Charity’s ‘Forget-Me-Not’ castle, will be available to buy at the auction.

The mini castles sculptures (the little keep-sakes) created by schools and community groups will return to those who created them.

The 10-week art trail is being delivered in partnership with creative producers, Wild in Art, and is supported by Principal Partner, Swansea Business Improvement District (BID), along with Printing Partner, BDP Wales and Logistics Partner, Owens Group.