If you ever needed an excuse to take a stroll down St Benedicts Street, besides some of the city’s best shops and restaurants being there, now you’ve got another. The first art installation of the new Norfolk Way Art Trail has been revealed at Norwich Arts Centre. And it’s beautiful!
Called ‘Flint’ and created by ToyStudio, the installation will be illuminated from Monday, March 27 from sunset to 1am every day. So, whether you’re walking past on your way for a morning coffee, or out with friends in the evening, you can see this gorgeous installation for yourself! Read on to find out more…
A creative light installation by Toby Plunkett, creator and architect, Flint is inspired by the rich history of Norwich’s beautiful buildings, medieval streets, and vibrant culture. It responds to the unique character of its setting – a medieval church, while referencing the local history and heritage around it in Norwich.
The best bit? Flint changes depending on when you see it. If you visit in daylight, you’ll find a collection of mirrored totems. As the sun sets, colours from the pixel tubes within the totems magnify the shapes, created by local community groups, to form a moving and beautiful sequence of lights. Be sure to visit at both dusk and dawn to see which look is your favourite!
The shapes are inspired by the flint walls of the Church of St Swithin surrounding the installation, and the inescapable history and landscape of Norwich. That answers the question about where the name came from, too!
Flint has been an incredible collaboration of work from the community. The stained-glass designs on the individual totems have been created by local groups: Common Ground, Young Norfolk Arts, and New Routes.
The installation hasn’t just been randomly placed, either. The totems that make up the artwork are placed around the grounds of the Norwich Arts Centre in relation to the churches and places of historical significance that made the City of Stories what it is today. From Guildhall to St Augustine’s Street and St Peter Mancroft, try to figure out what each of the carefully placed totems represent about Norwich!
The Flint Art Installation lighting up Norwich Arts Centre at night.
As mentioned in the intro, this is just the first of an incredible range of installations for the Norfolk Art Trail. This art trail is truly exciting. Spanning over 250 miles across Norfolk, the trail will feature multi-sensory, accessible public artworks to engage their local communities, reveal hidden stories, and inspire visitors to explore the county further.
Norfolk County Council’s EXPERIENCE project has commissioned this trail, which will see five site-specific artworks installed across Norfolk, with support from the Norwich Business Improvement District for two Norwich installations. Keep your eyes peeled for the next installations!
For more information and experiences around the county, please visit Be Norfolk here!
The mirrored totems of Flint at Norwich Arts Centre.
From day to night, Flint is definitely worth visiting at least twice to see both the mirrored and lit totems, so why not make the most of your time in the city centre?
For both daytime and evening visits, take a look at the See & Do section of our website for our top picks of what else you can do around the City of Stories for a great day out. Whether you’re coming with friends or family, there’s something for everyone here in Norwich.
Coming from further out and looking to make it an overnight stay? We’ve got that covered too, with some of the best hotels money can buy right at your fingertips in our Travel & Stay page. From a Georgian Grade-II listed hotel, to beautiful countryside stays just 20 minutes from the city centre, the choice is yours!
