Benjamin Britten statue to be 'unveiled this year'

A statue of Benjamin Britten as a boy "is in the factory being cast" and is expected to be "unveiled this year" after a fundraising campaign.

The life-size bronze sculpture will be installed near the seafront in the composer's hometown of Lowestoft, Suffolk, after £110,000 was raised.

Designed by Ian Rank-Broadley, it will be placed opposite 21 Kirkley Cliff Road, where Britten was born on 22 November 1913.

Zeb Soanes, vice chairman of the project, said he hoped the piece would act as an inspiration for many young people in the town.

"The focus of it, and making it about him as a child, is to make children in the area realise they can achieve their ambitions too," the broadcaster and author told BBC Suffolk.

"When he was 14 his mother took him to the Norfolk and Norwich Festival where his talent was spotted.

"So, our idea of depicting him at that point is to really inspire children that whatever you want, if you work hard, it is achievable."

The musician, who died in 1976, was previously described as a "genius" by the man tasked with bringing his likeness to life, sculptor Mr Rank-Broadley.

But it would also not be possible without the "fantastic team of passionate people from the community" behind the Britten as a Boy project, said Mr Soanes.

"It has been a four-year process and a lot of hard work from [people] who have been pulling it all together," added the 48-year-old, from Lowestoft.

"The statue is now in the factory being cast as we speak and will be unveiled this year and installed in the next few months.

"We don't know exactly when, but it will be there this year. It will be a wonderful thing."

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