Major Arts Council funding for new public art work from Wayne Sables in Doncaster

The Glass House will be an interactive light and sound installation that will appear at venues and events across Yorkshire before going on to tour nationally.

Arts Council funding of £48,700 will cover costs of manufacturing, with further funding from Cast in Doncaster, Flux Rotherham and both Wakefield and Barnsley Council bringing the total investment to £59,800.

The fully interactive solar-powered installation was inspired by Wayne’s research into the work of celebrated American inventor and systems theorist Richard Buckminster Fuller, whose pioneering work with geometric shapes and structures will be a important influence on the development of The Glass House.

Fully transportable, the six foot tall structure, which will feature interactive light and sound elements, will be seen at events throughout Yorkshire, with dates already booked for Wakefield, Barnsley and Rotherham.

As part of Cast in Doncaster’s tenth anniversary celebrations, The Glass House will also be seen outside the theatre at the start of the town’s pantomime season in December.

From there, the intention is to go into 2024 by taking The Glass House to festivals and events throughout the UK and internationally.

Wayne will be working in collaboration with producer Amy Dalton-Hardy, who has a 15 year plus track record of senior roles in the arts and now works on a full-time freelance portfolio of consultancy, producing, mentoring and development projects across the UK.

Also collaborating closely on the project will be York-based composer Nicholas Lewis, who has written music for small to mid-scale theatre productions that have toured throughout the country and has performed at venues such as the Southbank Centre and the Royal Albert Hall’s Verdi room, while his songs have been broadcast on national radio and his sound designs have been part of multiple exhibitions.

He has worked on productions with the Royal Exchange Theatre, Leeds Playhouse, York Theatre Royal, Streetwise Opera, and the National Theatre, amongst others.

The main Glass House structure will be constructed by Sheffield arts fabrications specialists Nelson and Woodward - artist duo Annie Nelson and Chris Woodward.

The piece will have a strong environmental theme, with solar power providing all the energy to maintain the light and sound experience at every showing.

“My aim from the very start of the project and throughout the development of the whole concert was that The Glass House should be a genuinely Yorkshire based work and that everybody involved should be based within 30 milers of my home in Doncaster,” Wayne explained.

“I am delighted to have been able to attract such great Yorkshire creatives to bring my vision to life and am confident that in addition to a great piece of art, we are also creating working relationships that will grow over time and deliver a whole range of similar projects.

He added that he was confident the Glass House would quickly become an established part of the arts and festivals circuit.

“My intention is to create something that people can engage with at whatever level they want but that they should enjoy it for its beauty and simplicity,” he said.