On the 29th of June, a trail of 100 rainbows running through Southampton’s parks will be unveiled to uplift the spirits of the community.
The trail’s organisers claim that this project, which will be in place throughout July and August, could be the largest public display of art the city has ever seen. These rainbows will be printed on up-cycled scaffold board with a QR code attached to each one. When these QR codes are captured by phones, they will link to stories and poems, which will convey the array of emotions that have been felt during these uncertain times.
This project coincides with Loneliness Awareness Week, that began on the 15th of June. Stuart Shaw and Jack Irwin, who are organising the competition and assembling the trail, are donating any additional funds that are raised to Communicare. Communicare helps isolated people in the Southampton area. Communicare’s Manager, Annie Clewlow, notes the Office for National Statistics’ recent findings that 30.9% of adults reported being more lonely as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. Southampton’s Rainbow Trail organisers hope to bring together and uplift the community during these dark times which have sadly seen isolation, the loss of jobs and the loss of loved ones.
Click here if you would like to submit your own rainbow design or a story for this project before the deadline of Sunday, June 21st.
