Campaign Launched for Statue of Benjamin Britten in the UK

The bronze statue by sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley will depict the composer as a child

A fundraising campaign to erect a statue of composer Benjamin Britten in his hometown of Lowestoft, UK, has nearly reached its £110,000 target. The bronze statue will depict Britten as a boy, with the goal of inspiring local children.

The fundraising committee is led by artist and teacher Ruth Wharrier and broadcaster and author Zeb Soanes, and they have chosen to commission the statue from sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley — whose recent work includes the statue of Princess Diana in Kensington Gardens.

A number of prominent musicians have made contributions to the fundraising campaign, including Dame Janet Baker, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Stephen Hough, and Tasmin Little. A recent gala concert hosted by the Wigmore Hall recently yielded £20,000 for the cause, with the concert being attended by members of Britten's family.

You can make a donation to the campaign here.

"Rather than the adult Britten at the height of his powers, we choose to celebrate him as the Lowestoft boy who went on to achieve great things," Soanes said. "We hope this beautiful statue will inspire future generations of Lowestoft children to gaze out to the horizon and dream big."

"The genius of Britten appeared in childhood," said Rank-Broadley. "A statue of him as a boy in Lowestoft can inspire generations of children to follow their dreams."

"Bronze is for eternity, Britten deserves no less."