Sky Mirror is officially Nottingham’s favourite landmark, according to a major online poll. The result has been warmly greeted at Nottingham Playhouse, home to the popular sculpture by Turner prizewinner Anish Kapoor. Voters in the Pride of Place survey hosted by Nottingham City Council’s website placed Sky Mirror above Wollaton Hall, Green’s Windmill, Nottingham Castle and six further attractions, all nominated by city residents.
The accolade completes a trio of awards for the Playhouse in 2007, following hard on the heels of the Most Welcoming Theatre award presented by the Theatrical Management Association, and the triumph of its partner company CAST in the Online Voters’ Award at this year’s Best Bar None ceremony.
Welcoming Sky Mirror’s success, Nottingham Playhouse’s Chief Executive Stephanie Sirr said:
"This just shows how creative and imaginative the people of Nottingham are. It’s amazing and thrilling that a piece of modern art has been chosen as the City’s favourite landmark and we’re delighted that Nottingham Playhouse is its home. Sky Mirror would not have been possible without Arts Council England Lottery Fund, ERDF, the Henry Moore Foundation and Sir Harry Djanogly – we’re extremely grateful that their support helped the Playhouse to deliver Anish Kapoor’s vision and create an icon for this wonderful city."
Laura Dyer, Executive Director of Arts Council England, East Midlands, said:
"Sky Mirror being officially announced Nottingham’s favourite landmark is great for public art, it’s great for Nottingham Playhouse and it’s also great for the city."
Six metres in diameter, Sky Mirror was Anish Kapoor’s largest work at the time of its unveiling in 2001, and has attracted international attention – Kapoor went on to create an even larger, temporary version on New York’s Rockefeller Plaza. The original and best garnered 42% of the public vote in Nottingham’s Pride of Place survey, with Wollaton Hall and Park second at 15% and the remaining votes split between Nottingham Castle, Green’s Mill, the Lace Market, the National Ice Centre, the Council House, Nottingham Caves, the Arboretum and the Newton and Arkwright Buildings.
Pride of Place polls were held by councils all over England, and the result sees Sky Mirror ranked alongside landmarks as diverse as Chatsworth House, Durham Cathedral, Cresswell Crags and Middlesbrough’s Transporter Bridge. Councillor Jon Collins, leader of Nottingham City Council said:
"The poll was a different way of encouraging people to go on line to council web sites and see just how much information and how many services they will find there. It’s also a chance to show off some of the best known Nottingham landmarks and the terrific places and buildings Nottingham has."
As well as the site of the city’s best-loved landmark, Nottingham Playhouse is also the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre, a title it won at the Theatrical Management Awards earlier this year in recognition of its continuing drive to maintain and develop excellent customer service. Meanwhile, the theatre’s close partner CAST also came out top in a public poll, winning the Online Voters’ Award at Nottingham’s Best Bar None awards, designed to reward bars and clubs which offer a high-quality, safe and enjoyable drinking experience. Proud of three such ringing public endorsements in 2007, the Playhouse is determined to keep pleasing its visitors as it looks forward to a new year.
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